Penning a poem for Remembrance Day
Arji Manuelpillai may have hit the headlines only last Tuesday, Armistice Day, when, before an elegant Princess of Wales dressed in a black military-style coat at the chilly autumnal National Memorial Arboretum where he is Poet in Residence, he read his sonnet specially commissioned by the royal family. But it was just the glace cherry [...]
When Ceylon’s winds of change hit the stage with Lanerolle humour
H.C.N. de Lanerolle was a thespian extraordinaire who had the temerity to move away from Shakespeare and Sheridan, bringing local colour and spice to our stage, ‘sending up’ everyone from stuffy sartorial Mudliyars in their Jaguar cars to the parsimonious Jaffna Tamils, happy-go-lucky Burghers, ‘nanas’ and even the white “semi-divines”. Telling is the anecdote about [...]
Colomboscope back in January with rhythm as universal language
When Colomboscope returns to Colombo this January, it won’t just be another art festival; it will be a collective heartbeat. Running from January 21 – 31, 2026, this ninth edition, titled Rhythm Alliances, gathers artists, musicians, choreographers and filmmakers from around the world to explore rhythm as a universal language—one that remembers, resists and reconnects. [...]
Letters to the Editor
Time to get together to rid the country of drug menace The current government has embarked on a process to eliminate drugs. This is truly a praiseworthy effort. A significant number of people in Sri Lanka today are addicted to drugs, a majority of them being young men, women and schoolchildren. If the country is [...]
Appreciations
To him, home wasn’t geography; it was people V. QUINTUS DE SILVA Duty, honour, dignity, and respect — these weren’t just lofty words my father admired; they were part of his daily rhythm, right alongside tea at four o’clock and making sure his clothes and shoes were spotless every day. To everyone who knew him, [...]
Taking a spin back in time to the grand dames of Ceylon’s roads
As a great admirer of Sri Lanka after spending many unforgettable holidays there enjoying the scenery, hospitality, accommodation, food, sunshine and collections of classic cars, I was delighted to be asked to review a most important contribution to the topic of Rolls-Royce cars in the country. Do not think this is a niche publication; it [...]
Joy and challenges in the making of ‘A Christmas Carol – The Musical’
As ‘A Christmas Carol – The Musical’ prepares to usher Colombo audiences into the world of Dickens’ beloved tale this month, the ensemble breathing life into its many characters, from the ever-cheerful Fezziwig to the spectral guides of Scrooge’s journey, are revelling in the joy, challenge and camaraderie that power this grand retelling. The performers [...]
Hash Deli: The sweet rebellion behind those original desserts
In Colombo’s crowded dessert scene, where trends flare and fade like sugar on a brûlée, Hash Deli has built a brand powered by conviction. Its founder, known to customers simply as Hash runs on a quiet but unmistakable credo: originality over imitation, integrity over hype, experience over excess and behind the elegance of her creations lies a tale of [...]
Klimt and Kahlo at Sky Gallery
Sky Gallery in Colombo 5 is currently showing ‘Her Face, Her Power’, an exhibition that explores the feminine form not as an object, but as a vessel of resilience, identity and creative energy. The exhibition – an extraordinary collection of life-sized, museum-quality canvas portraits – features two revolutionary artists of the 20th century.Gustav Klimt’s gilded [...]
Women’s International Club bazaar
The Women’s International Club annual bazaar will be held on November 22 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Club, 16, Premasiri Khemadasa Mawatha Colombo 7. The bazaar will have over 60 stalls with food, clothing, jewellery, shoes, bags, handicrafts, books, Christmas decorations, plants and nearly new items on sale. The pre-Christmas bazaar is [...]
Celebrating 150th birthday of Thomas Mann
Celebrating the 150th birthday of Germany’s Nobel Prize Laureate Thomas Mann (1875-1955), a two-day programme ‘Thomas Mann 150: Between Empire, Revolution, Republic, and Exile’ will feature film screenings, intercultural discussions and creative design. It will take place on November 17 and 18 at the Goethe-Institut, Goethe Hall, 39 R.G. Senanayake Mawatha, Colombo 7. On Monday, [...]