School closed early today
Original photo from Ilankai Tamil Sangam School closed early today. Amma was looking very jumpy when she came to pick me up, but she wouldn’t tell me why. When we went to…
Fiction / Creative Writing
Invitation to prospective writers: A Sri Lankan Anthology of Hint Fiction
Photo courtesy The Blue Bookcase Around two months ago, I picked up on a whim edited by Robert Swartwood. Swartwood’s definition of hint fiction is ‘a story of 25 words or fewer that…
Reconciling what? History, Realism and the Problem of an Inclusive Sri Lankan Imaginary
What does reconciliation signify in the Sri Lankan context? In many post-conflict contexts the idea of reconciliation dominates public discussion. This is no different in Sri Lanka. But what exactly is meant…
Arthur C Clarke’s World of 2012: Insights from his Titanic Novel
The year was 1989. Margaret Thatcher and George Bush, Snr., were in office. Mikhail Gorbachev was slowly but surely dismantling the Soviet Union. The infamous Iron Curtain was crumbling under pressure from…
In conversation with Shashi Tharoor at Galle Literary Festival
As part of the Galle Literary Festival, I had the opportunity to speak with Shashi Tharoor, whose writing I’ve immensely enjoyed read since my University days in India. As the festival’s website…
A-Z of Sri Lankan English: O is for our people
Boys will not always be boys! Photo credit: National Geographic The possessive pronoun “our” is deceptively simple. But who are the “we” that it refers to? The expression our people is a…
Niromi 2009 versus Niromi Tigress 2011
Niromi de Soyza’s so-called autobiography, weekend magazine.[i] Gordon Weiss, the moral crusader, proclaimed it to be “incredibly moving” and considers it “a story of redemption” (as quoted by Nikki Barrowclough). This may…
The singer might change but the song remains the same: A critical look at Roberts and Sarvananthan ‘outing’ Niromi de Soyza
John Ralston Saul[1] Edward W. Said[2] The job of a writer, especially one dealing with matters of historical import, is to make his or her agenda clear to the reader. Michael Roberts[3]…
Outing a Counterfeit Guerrilla: A tale of lies by Tamil Tigress Niromi de Soyza
The objective of this research note is not only to uncover the truth or otherwise of the “memoir” by Niromi de Soyza (, but to go beyond and investigate the purpose/s of…
The Role of Writers and Artists during Turbulent Political Times
I was requested to speak about the important role writers and artists play in the struggle against oppression and in the protection of democratic and human rights of the oppressed. We all…
Going beyond mainstream media: The best Twitter feeds on and from Sri Lanka
Just over a year ago, in April 2010, launched two curated Twitter lists on Sri Lanka to help those in and outside the country access news, information and critical conversations that went…
Refuge for Colonel Gadaffi in Island Paradise?
: Sri Lanka has in its history occasionally served as a refuge for persecuted personalities but it may have its most controversial refugee yet. Colonel Muammar Muhammad al-Gaddafi has reportedly secured an understanding with…
New Festival to Promote Unity in Sri Lanka
: A press conference was held in Colombo earlier today to launch the latest fixture on Sri Lanka’s ever busier festival calendar. Organisers of The Boycott Festival issued a brief statement and…
A-Z of Sri Lankan English: I is for isn’t it?
A tag question (or question tag) is a short question tagged onto the end of a sentence: “It’s raining, isn’t it?” It is usually pronounced with a rising-falling intonation (high pitch on…
Writing against the RSF/JDS appeal to boycott the Galle Literary Festival
[Editors note: We were sent this personal letter from Sunila Abeysekara addressed to a leading signatory of the RSF/JDS appeal to boycott the Galle Literary Festival. She kindly agreed to publish it…