Ode
The following poem was read out to the Sri Lanka parliament by the Hon Lakshman Jayakody and appeared in the Hansard 1998. It was reprinted in the ‘Anthology of the Galle Literary…
Arts and Theatre
Book review: The Hungry Ghosts
is Shyam Selvadurai’s fourth novel, and almost certainly his best. The themes are familiar, from the personal strife caused by the narrator’s sexuality and ethnicity, to the political backdrop of Sri Lanka’s…
Chandraguptha Thenuwara’s ‘Beautification’
Photo courtesy Vikalpa’s photo set of the exhibition Leading Sri Lankan artist Chandraguptha Thenuwara’s most recent exhibition entitled Beautification makes parody of contemporary Sri Lanka by suggesting that peace is but a…
Daddy: A Mad Incestuous Dance
Incest in this country has probably been always spoken about, albeit in hushed, almost reverent whispers. Curiosity has probably always led to incestuous acts among children, but then, is that something we…
‘Flying Fish’ and the Constriction of the Arts in Sri Lanka
I met Sanjeeva Pushpakumara last year in a little art cinema off the Champs Elysees at the showing of Ashoka Handagama’s Ini Avan. It seemed he knew me from his days as…
30 Years Ago: An unprecedented look at Black July
In August this year, will launch a compelling collection of content to commemorate 30 years since Black July. The content will feature original podcasts, photography and writing on a dedicated website. Building…
In conversation with Michael Mendis: Winner of 2013 Commonwealth Short Story Prize for Asia
Michael Mendis is the winner of the 2013 Commonwealth Short Story Prize for Asia. ‘The Sarong-Man in the Old House, and an Incubus for a Rainy Night’ can be read in full…
Celluloid Nationalism in Sri Lanka
Photo courtesy Cinema.lk In post war Sri Lanka, where triumphalism is an ever-present threat to reconciliation, and where issues of religious and language diversity continue to engender conflict, we are encountering a…
Framed music: ‘The Show Must Go On’ by Sachini Perera
Photo courtesy Sachini Perera Photography How ‘The Show Must Go On’ came about described on the exhibition’s Facebook event page. Sachini Perera, who I first came to know of through her work…
Shakespeare – Is he “Wellington’s Lieutenant?”
Photograph: Oli Scarff/Getty via Among the many twists and turns of history, few can be more contrived than that which led to the establishment of Shakespeare’s tongue as a second or link…
‘Kerosene’ by Kannan Arunasalam wins international documentary award
in 2011. First screened in Colombo and subsequently featured on the critically acclaimed Moving Images website, ‘Kerosene’ and his two other short films generated the most feedback and engagement given their unique,…
In conversation with Nayomi Munaweera
The , “gripping, astonishing and utterly gorgeous”. At the head of their lane, a buss on its knees, front tires exploded, haemorrhages thrusting, pushing passengers. At the far side, a particularly jovial…
Ini Avan: Hauntingly beautiful but…
Ini Avan, Asoka Handagama’s latest film, in Tamil, has won international cinematic acclaim. And it is easy to see why. The film has interesting characters who within their confined destinies take some…
Reflections on ‘Widows’ and ‘Unearthed’
Work and travel kept me from writing about two significant theatre productions in the past month. Ariel Dorfman’s ‘Widows’ directed by Feroze Kamardeen and produced by Sirraj Abdul Hameed was staged at…
Unearthed: Architecture, text, theatre and dance
brings together a cast of theatre and movement practitioners to create a site-specific performance. To unpack the production, and flesh out how it came about, sat down with Ruhanie Perera, the Artistic Director of…