A book that is personal but also universal
A story of migration, belonging and the fragile transformation that shape who we become. This is how Sean Perera, writer, academic, and self-described experiential philosopher, introduces his debut novel, “ a Butterfly”. While the story draws heavily on his experiences, it seeks to resonate with readers navigating their own paths of self-discovery, he says – in that way the book is personal but also universal.
A Josephian, Dr. Sean Perera specialises in cross-cultural communication and STEAM engagement with culturally and linguistically diverse learners. He lives in Canberra with his wife and their poodle, Zeus and was in Sri Lanka last month to talk on the book at the Lakmahal library.
Written with “the eye of a philosopher but the heart of a poet,” he says that Butterfly traces a young Sri Lankan’s journey, offering readers a meditation on memory, desire, belonging and the ongoing transformation that defines who we are, both as individuals and as members of multiple overlapping cultures.
The novel’s protagonist comes from an English-speaking Sri Lankan background. Sean points out that the book is mainly for a Sri Lankan audience curious about the world outside and marginally for a non-Sri Lankan audience curious about Sri Lanka. The novel explores how circumstances, experiences and migrations can turn fiction into lived reality.
“What we call reality can be another person’s fiction, and there is a strong desire in each of us to walk in the shoes of someone else and that desire propels people to crave something that is not theirs,” he explains. The book’s title also speaks to this, he says.
Philosophically, Butterfly is concerned with desire, self-reflection, and the yearning to be seen. “Each time we look for someone we see ourselves in their eyes. Desire is the foundation of all our lives, and we seek things and exploration happens through eyes and in doing that we are trying to look for our own selves,” he says. Sean also writes extensively about food, seeing it as an integral part of life and identity; “it’s something we can easily find belonging with and talk about.”
The novel also seeks to engage with topics often considered taboo in Sri Lanka, particularly same-sex relationships, and Sean feels that the book is his contribution to furthering acceptance. While there is legislative change and activism, he feels that these are opposite ends of the spectrum. “The middle ground is acceptance and that can only happen when academics, writers and the literary community write and create a conducive space.”
The shift from academic writing to creative writing was challenging. “There is a straightforward process in academic writing. I assumed rather naively that there was a process in creative writing,” he says. The COVID-19 pandemic acted as a catalyst giving him the time and space to focus intensely on the book. Maintaining consistency was another challenge. Some days, the narrative flowed; at other times, he says there were weeks and months where not much progress was made.
A wordsmith who has been writing in various forms since his schooldays, Sean also relished the playfulness of words, carefully balancing meaning with poetic nuance. “I love wordplay so I enjoyed playing around with words and had to do research to ensure that the meaning stays.” Despite the struggles, the book took shape over three years, through multiple rounds of editing. He worked closely with a university professor who was his editor, but was determined to retain certain elements, one in particular which he feels unintentionally paves the way for a possible sequel.
Sean hopes that Butterfly will spark dialogue and critical engagement. He wants readers to confront realities often ignored, and to see the richness and complexity of Sri Lankan culture through the lens of migration, identity and personal transformation.
Priced at Rs. 1600, “a Butterfly” by Sean Perera is available at Sarasavi bookshops.
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