Of a provocative writer and meghaya
When Gunadasa Amarasekera writes a book
or even a newspaper article, it always provokes a lot of interest. There
is much discussion and debate.
"The question is not whether one agrees with Gunadasa Amarasekera
or not, but the fact that at a time like the present when the country is
in the grip of a serious crisis and most intellectuals remain silent, here
is an intellectual who is greatly concerned about the future of his country
and has the courage to put forward views which he is sure will be challenged."
This is what Professor Ediriweera Sarachchandra wrote when his book, Ganadura
Mediyama Dakinemi Arunalu was released. That was ten years ago.
Amarasekera's latest work also deals with contemporary issues. The comment
is still valid. The book titled Marana Manchakaye Dutu Sihinaya
(A dream dreamt on the death bed), is a collection of five short stories
and has just been released by Visidunu Prakashanayo. According to the publisher,
the stories reflect the state and the agony of a nation stretched out on
its deathbed but yet indulges in meaningless fantasies having been forsaken
by 'fallen idols' over the past fifty years.
"These stories depict the crass hypocrisy practised by the power
hungry politician in the name of nationalism, democracy and socialism over
the years and also the subtle variety of self-deceit practised by the opportunistic,
self-centred intellectual claiming high intellectual and moral ground.
The end result is a society rotten to its core", a note from the publisher
states.
Along with Marana Manchakaya, a reprint of Amarasekera's earlier
work, Gal Pilimaya Saha Bol Pilimaya'(1988) has also been released.
That too has five stories. Since both these works of fiction belong to
the same genre and also deal with similar material, their publication at
this moment of time is bound to herald a new direction in Sinhala fiction
which has been stagnant over the years for want of a creative mind capable
of confronting these realities, the publisher's note adds.
Earlier this year, new editions of two of Amarasekera's earlier works
came out as Godage publications. One was the third edition of Gandhabba
Apadanaya (1964) and the other, Ekama Kathawa (1969). Starting
with the highly controversial novels, Karumakkarayo (1955) and Yali
Upannemi, Amarasekera has written 10 novels, eight collections of short
stories (his first was Rathu Rosa Mala ), four anthologies of verse,
two dramas and seven literary and social commentaries.
Kandy on top
Two schools in Kandy hit the top spots at
the recently concluded Children's Drama Festival organized by the Children's
Drama Panel of the Arts Council.
The first place was won by Sellang Lellang (Kingswood College)
and the second place went to Loku Malui Podi Malui (Dharmaraja College).
In the third place was Hele Nangi (Yasodara Balika, Borella).
Sellang Lellang also won the prizes for Best Music (Sunethra Kumari
Hettiarachchi) and Best Stage décor (Isuru Sirinimal) and carried
away five merit awards for acting.A Royalist, Janaka Sumathipala was adjudged
Best Actor for his performance in Kiyalath Be Nokiyath Be and Tilini
Taraka Karunaratne (Akuru Karattaya) from St Sebastian Balika, Kandana
won the Best Actress award.
The Best Script award was won by Ranjith K Rajapakse (Dharmaraja College)
for Loku Malui Podi Malui.
In the 'Open' category Palitha Lokupothagama's Amara Giya Diviya
Loke was adjudged the Best Play. While Lokupatahagama also won the
award for Best Actor, W M Chamila Niranjala was selected Best Actress for
her role in Surathallu.
The competition drew 234 entries this year, out of which selected scripts
were produced at regional and district levels. Twenty were selected for
the final round.
A new monthly
Meghaya (Cloud) is the title of a new monthly
which hit the newsstands last week. Described as a 'timely monthly journal',
the publishers (from Negombo) insist it will toe an independent line without
political or any other bias.
The 12 page tabloid carries a mix including a double spread feature
on the position of the Sinhala and Tamil languages in the proposed constitution,
'youth and politics' (feature),'archaeological robbery' (lead story), school
education and culture, and two feature articles on the patriots, Anagarika
Dharmapala and Walisinghe Harischandra. An article reproduced from Sinhala
Bauddhaya (20 September 1913) on the death of Walisinghe Harischandra provides
interesting reading.
Bookshelf
From Sinhala into English
Just as much as more and more translations
of foreign writing to Sinhala are becoming evident, the appearance of English
translations of Sinhala fiction is also a welcome feature.
Another noteworthy feature is that these are printed through the patronage
and sponsorship of the Sri Lanka National Library Services Board.
Among recent publications is Somaratna Balasooriya's Vap Magula (Royal
Festival of the Plough) which has been translated by Dorathi Lokubalasuriya.
Introducing Vap Magula as "a warm and emphatic revelation of the
happiness and the frustrations of the rural youth together with the sheer
physical joy of living even in the context of grinding hopelessness",
Dr Lakshmi de Silva says that it portrays the bungling and brutality, the
callous avoidable waste that results when self-important politicians live
parallel to an electorate and never communicate directly with the voters.
Well accepted as a creative writer from his undergraduate days at the
Vidyalankara University in the early sixties (having had his early education
at Kuliyapitiya Central), Balasooriya studied modern trends in world literature
while reading for his PhD at the Sorbonne University. He has written novels,
short stories, poetry, film scripts and co-edited several literary journals.
Also in the bookstands are two works of
award winning writer Kulasena Fonseka. One titled 'Ways of the World' is
a translation of Siri Yahana (by Tilak Balasuriya) and the other 'All for
the love of a ride' is an adaptation of Buru Poraya (by Prabashinie Gunasekera).
'Ways of the World' is a story set in a low middle class family and relates
the tale of the ambitious wife who will do anything to achieve her goal
of reaching higher social status.
Experienced translator Tilak Balasuriya says the intense reality of
the novel is the hallmark it carries. He adds that his task in translating
Siri Yahana (which, incidentally, was adapted to the small screen too)
has been to transfer the atmosphere more than the story from Sinhala into
English – the shades of meaning and the significance behind certain words.
Fonseka uses words with circumspection and economy. Buru Gedera is Fonseka's
latest children's novel. The English version is an adaptation. Prabashinie
Gunasekera says an adaptor naturally enjoys more freedom of exercising
his or her imaginative skills and finetunes, a publication to suit a particular
social and cultural environment or a target group which is different from
the original target.
The adaptor who admits she thoroughly enjoyed reading the novel, hopes
that translations of Sinhala literary works into English would help to
widen the horizons of English reading youth by exposing them to fruitful
and novel experiences relevant to our social and cultural context. They
would also bring our literary works to the attention of foreign readers.
Fonseka is six times winner of the coveted Sahitya Award for his writings
starting with Palama Yata (1982) which was later made into an award winning
film.
His writings have been appreciated by the Sinhala reading public for
many years.
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