TV Times

TV Times

Golden Lotus Awards from Australian expatriates
The first Sawarna Sanka award ceremony to felicitate Sri Lankan writers and poets organized by a group of Sri Lankan literature lovers in Australia will be held at the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute (SLFI) at 3.30 pm on Friday April 28, 2006.

The awards ceremony is the brainchild of Sawarna Sanka Sansadaya (Golden Lotus Sansaday) an organization comprising Sri Lankans domiciled in Australia. Their main aim is to assist, promote and uplift Sri Lankan literature and other related arts initiated in 2003 when only one award, best novel was awarded along with a cash prize of Rs, 50,000.

One of the Sri Lankan coordinators of SSS, Buddhi Galappaththi speaking to TV Times said that due to the response the organization received in 2003 the number of awards had been increased for the year 2004. "In 2003 we selected the Best Novel and this year the award ceremony has in addition with Best Short Story and Best Poetry book," Mr. Galappaththi said. In addition to Swarna Sanka awards cash prizes will also be awarded to the winners, the coordinator added.

Best novelist will be awarded a prize of Rs. 50, 000 while the Best Short story writer and the Best Poet will be awarded Rs. 25, 000 each. In collaboration with the Award Ceremony in Sri Lanka, theSwarna Sanka Award ceremony also will be held in Australia where the literary awards will be presented to Sri Lankan Sinhala writers there.

"The award ceremony was held last 17th and the Best Short Story writer was selected. In addition there was also a film festival where "Parasathu Mal" and ten short films of young Sri Lankan filmmakers directions, produced for National Film Corporation was held," Buddhi said

On April 28, the key note address will be delivered by award winning writer and filmmaker Tissa Abeysekera and the theme is "Literature; Content, Purpose and its Audience".

The Sri Lankan writers and artistes who are behind the Swarna Sanka Sansadaya are Cyril Gunaratne, Karu Liyanarachchi, Jayasri Chandrajith, Bandu Dissanayake and Luxman Welikala.

Sri Lankan team who coordinates the award ceremony are Professor Somaratne Balasuriya, Gamini Sumanasekara, Prem Dissanayake, Karu Paranavithana and Buddhi Galappaththi.

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