70 years ago Gerald Cooray picked up the baton and the legacy continues
The Colombo Philharmonic Choir (CPC) kicks off a very special season of programmes in celebration of its 70th Jubilee year on Sunday, June 1. ‘Lux, A Choral Spectrum of Light and Hope’ will be presented at 7 p.m. at the Chapel of the Hope of the World, Ladies’ College, Colombo. “I found myself drawn to [...]
Tribute to Tilak and his inimitable lines
It’s the lines. Linear, geometric or curving sinuously, they are the dramatic defining feature of Tilak Samarawickrema’s work. For the past one month, with another week still to go, the newly opened Paradise Road Saskia Fernando Gallery (PRSFG) on Galle Road is displaying the line drawings, tapestries and wire sculptures of this renowned architect, designer [...]
Don’t miss the Signature Weekend with Deepa Mehta
Taking place from May 30 to June 1, Cinnamon Hotels and Resorts’ Signature Weekend will honour the acclaimed work of Oscar-nominated filmmaker Deepa Mehta and her long-time producing partner David Hamilton, founder of Hamilton–Mehta Productions. Their films—Midnight’s Children, Water, and Funny Boy—stand among the most impactful stories filmed in Sri Lanka, bridging global narratives with [...]
Appreciations
A guiding light in our hearts forever DULIP FLAVIAN RAPHAEL JAYAMAHA An extraordinary individual who profoundly impacted not only my life but many others! A luminary in the legal profession, a man of highest standards and character who inspired and challenged me in both my professional and personal journey of life. He hired me to [...]
Turning his focus on autism
Upali Mahaliyana was educated at Mahinda College, Galle, and at the University of Ceylon, Peradeniya. After graduating as an Electrical Engineer he served as a Senior Consultant and as an Engineering Manager in various international consultancies in Sri Lanka, Singapore, Hong Kong, New Zealand and Australia. He started writing fiction on the verge of retirement [...]
On a literary journey since 2006
Vihanga Perera broke into the writing scene in 2006 with the short story collection The(ir) (Au) topsy which was shortlisted for that year’s Gratiaen Prize. In a literary career spanning over two decades, he has published seven novels, six collections of poetry, and three collections of short fiction. In addition to three State Literary awards [...]
Weaving together strands of historical writings to trace origins of ancient script
A Lost History: A consideration of historical writing in a quest to find the origins of the 500 BCE Brahmi script’ is an engrossing account that aims to prove that the Brahmi script in fact originated in Lanka, in the period from 1000 to 800 BCE. Given how contentious the idea is, the editor of [...]
Capturing the life trajectories of females
The Atrophied Wife, authored by M.T.L. Ebell, is a narrative of two sisters—and inevitably!—of females. The novel follows the trajectories of the two sisters, Minuri and Suni, as they negotiate school, home, partners and children. Watching them as they negotiate life is the socio-political-economic commotions of the nation, from the early seventies to the Easter [...]
The shade tree
Albizia saman Common/ English name: Rain tree Family: Fabaceae (The bean family) Sinhala name: Para mara; Tamil name: Nilal vahai This is an unmistakable tree – with a massive, deeply-furrowed trunk and a very wide, umbrella-shaped, dense crown, which is broader than the height of the tree (25 m). This grows along roadsides in many [...]
A little cafe that’s the cat’s meow
Driving down Wijerama Mawatha Road, smack between Rosmead Place and Ward Place, an inconspicuous sign will flash as you go by, “The Black Cat.” Intriguing enough to catch one’s eye, yet subtle enough to seem to say, “come in… if you like.” Walking onto the property and gravelly drive, a colonial home awaits. The Black [...]
UAF Foundation’s first fundraiser for the year
The Udayshanth and Angelika Fernando Foundation’s first fundraiser for 2025 is an online auction of works from the private collection of Udayshanth Fernando. The Foundation was established to create opportunities for artists while supporting key causes close to the Fernando family’s objectives. The fundraiser will be run via an online auction. The collection includes works [...]