Slowly but surely a new book is born
After her Booker Prize-winning book, Inheritance of Loss was published in 2006, Kiran Desai seemed to have gone quiet. Unpublished for nearly two decades she will now be releasing The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny in September 2025. “I have been working very intensely for a very long time,” said Kiran of her extended period [...]
Don’t pretend, differences must be asserted
Andrew Sean Greer is on a flying visit to the Ceylon Literary Festival because he has a novel with a deadline waiting at home. Andrew is the 2018 Pulitzer-winning author of Less, a comic novel about the globetrotting of a gay man who just wants to avoid his former boyfriend’s wedding… It’s comic “because I [...]
Lit buffs happy to be back for CLF 2
The HSBC Ceylon Literary and Arts Festival got off to a bracing start on Friday 17, while the pennants fluttered and a cohort of literary buffs from Colombo, outstations and abroad milled around the Public Library, where the green with the War memorial and the spacious parkland was a pleasing prospect for all. Among the [...]
Art gives a new frame to festival
The Ceylon Literary and Arts Festival which enters its final day today at the Colombo Public Library has ventured into new territory this year by expanding its focus on art alongside its foundation in literature. The exhibition which accompanied the festival reflects the diversity and complexity of Sri Lankan experiences by showcasing both native and [...]
Letters to the Editor
The hidden harm of noise pollution In our community, where tradition and daily life intertwine, an issue has arisen that needs our collective attention and understanding—noise pollution from temple/mosque loudspeakers. As someone who enjoys my daily walks through our scenic routes, I have noticed a growing problem that affects us all. Recently, the loudspeakers installed [...]
APPRECIATIONS
The Butterfly Effect: 10 years after Dr. Thelma Gunawardane A decade has passed since the world dimmed with the loss of Dr. Thelma Gunawardane, my beloved “Archchi,” but her presence continues to flutter through our lives like a butterfly—subtle yet profound. The lasting effects of her love, wisdom, and strength ripple outward, not only shaping [...]
Fish poison tree, common sight along sandy beaches
Barringtonia asiatica Common/ English name: Fish poison tree Family: Lecythidaceae (The cannonball tree family) (Sinhala name: Mudilla Tamil name:No name known) These medium-sized trees are native to coastal areas of countries of the Indian Ocean, as well as part of the Pacific. In Sri Lanka, they are generally found in coastal areas, along sandy beaches, [...]
Colpetty, Bamba and Wellawatte
‘The Great Days of Bambalawatte with a Walkthrough of Colpetty in the Olden Times’ by Asiff Hussein takes a walk down memory lane of what may well be called the golden stretch of Colombo encompassing the Colpetty, Bambalapitiya and Wellawatte precincts of the capital. This well illustrated book tells the story of these three important [...]
Ceylon’s days of pigeon post
Pigeons are one of the fast fliers among birds, capable of notching up speeds up to 100 miles per hour. With support of winds, they can fly up to 700 miles non-stop. Little known is that in colonial Ceylon, the Ceylon Observer newspaper which was initially based in Galle and Colombo adopted the technique of [...]
More than just a viewing of exhibits
In a world often divided by conflict, Haadia Galely is set on a path of hope and unity. Her work is all about fostering connections and shared understanding. From the Muslim Choral Ensemble (MCE) to Voices for Peace, her latest initiative is a Unity Tour at the Colombo National Museum next Sunday, January 26. The [...]
Taxes a vexing problem for our classical music scene
“The British ruled Ceylon not by force, but by (the entanglements of) bureaucracy”- Victoria Glendinning in her biography of Leonard Woolf, who was a colonial civil servant in Sri Lanka between 1904 and 1911. The head of a Colombo-based charity who organised a successful classical music concert fundraiser mid last year, looks back at the [...]