Books

Angela Dharshika's debut volume of poetry speaks of environmental issues and her passion for nature.

Surrounded by magnificent mountains, the city of Kandy, home of the Temple of the Sacred Tooth and the Royal Palace, was the capital of Lanka for about three hundred years. Gananath Obeysekere paints a vivid portrait of the kings of these great green highlands of Kandy, revealing a complex and advanced society every bit as violent as any other civilization. Focusing on kings Vimaladharmasuriya 1, Rajasinha II, Sri Vijaya Rajasinha and Kirti Sri Rajasinha, he brings the Kandyan monarchy to life, depicting them not as mythic figures but as real flesh and blood, larger than life characters who ruled over the last citadel of Lankan aristocracy

Longlisted for the Man Asia Literary Prize 2008 and the Dublin IMPAC award 2011

Khadeeja Rasheed has the perfect life in Geneva. A loving family, a fulfilling career, and an adoring boyfriend. When her father is accidentally killed in a bomb blast she returns home to Sri Lanka. There she discovers a secret that threatens to destroy family bonds and reveal complicated threads of love, loyalty, and betrayal. The Moon in the Water brings a young woman's search for recognition and family vividly to life.

In this story of deep desires, identity and passion, Ameena Hussein draws a dramatic portrait of loss, bewildering love and possible forgiveness.

Shortlisted for the Gratiaen Prize 2020

The fabled Moroccan Scholar Ibn Battuta is reputed to have travelled further through the medieval world than any other explorer, including Marco Polo. When Ameena Hussein sees a grimy street sign in Puttalam bearing his name, it precipitates a quest of her own, tracking Ibn Battuta’s trajectory in Lanka or Sarandib as he knew it.

From the pearl rich north-western coast, through Sri Pada known as the Mount of Lanka, down to Dewinuwara with its magnificent temple hosting dancing girls and Brahmin priests and onwards to Colombo – already a formidable maritime presence, she follows his trajectory to rejoin his starting point at Puttalam. Along the way, she seeks Ibn Battuta’s memory in the minds of men, and discovers a land brimming with myth and legend as colourful as the traveler himself.

"A book for those who love the marvelous, multicultural land of Lanka" – Tim Mackintosh Smith
"A rich tapestry, bringing to life 14th century Sri Lanka" – Shyam Selvadurai
"A beautiful, sweeping book that shines light into the past" – Nayomi Munaweera
"A fabulously entertaining and remarkable feat of research" – Nira Wickremasinghe

Baby Baba is still learning where to poop. So he poops everywhere except where he should. He's also learning about the pooping habits of pandas, vultures, sloths, beetles, and even mites. Maybe they can teach him that the potty is his friend.

Cheeky, educational, and fun, Where Shall I Poop? is a rhyming book for toddlers. New from the creators of Please Don't Put That In Your Mouth, it is the perfect potty training companion.

Illustrated by Lalith Karunatilaka 

Rukmini Attygalle's debut collection of eleven stories reflect inner strength in times of need. They take the reader into the everyday lives of ordinary people; from a little girl asserting her independence with her family in England, to a newly widowed woman unexpectedly revisiting her past, to a surprising friend in a street beggar. Of Saris and Grapefruit is a collection that layers poignant textures and feelings from one story to another, that captures significant life changes with entertaining and revealing outcomes.

"Rukmini Attygalle's first published collection of short stories makes for delightful reading.... From them emerge a palpable freshness and feminine ingenuity." ~ Nanda Pethiagoda Wanasundera, Journalist and Author of Parallel Lives

"These stories are engaging and vibrant." ~ Leelananda de Silva, Public Servant, UN consultant, and Author of The Long Littleness of Life: a Memoir of Government, the United Nations, Family and Friends

"This collection of stories displays many clear insights, much deep feeling, and also an engaging sense of humour" ~ Michael O'Leary, Writer and Columnist

L.T.P. Manjusri was born in 1902 in Aluthgama, a small fishing village near Galle in Southern Sri Lanka, and died a national hero in 1982, having had an extraordinary life. His story is a commentary on the cultural history of 20th Century Sri Lanka. His contribution to art and the history of art spans the previous century to the birth and development of modern art in the country. 

Manjusri's works are found in many galleries, including the Sapumal Foundation and the National Art Gallery in Colombo, Horniman Museum in London, Kunst Historiches Museum in Vienna, New York Public Library, Columbia University Library, Metropolitan Museum in New York and in numerous private collections.

After giving up robes in 1949, he worked as a journalist at Lake House Newspapers until his retirement in 1968. He wrote more than 200 articles pertaining to temple paintings, Asian art and culture. Recognised both in Sri Lanka and internationally, his many accolades include the Ramon Magsasay Award. He died a national hero.

He is a revolutionary,  but not the violent kind. 

Instead, Hemaka Amarasuriya transformed corporate Sri Lanka's method of thinking, asserting a quiet firmness that soon became his trademark style. Hemaka Amarasuriya is arguably Sri Lanka's 'intrapreneurship' pioneer, propelling the sewing machine and its brand to heights unknown and horizons unimagined. Singer Sri Lanka is now a case study for marketing and branding experts: Philip Kotler himself uses Singer Sri Lanka as a glowing example of a successful company that was always ahead of the curve. Amassing accolades for his unfettered thought processes that built teams, brands and portfolios, Hemaka remains in the lead as an undisputed Marketing Guru. He is renowned for marrying an unorthodox management style with non-conformist team building and revolutionary leadership approaches that are today tangibly visible within not just Singer Sri Lanka, NDB and Sri Lanka Insurance which he spearheaded, but also in the past on the sports grounds, be it cricket, rugby, hockey or motorsports.

However, this is not merely a story about a brain ticking continually, pioneering pathways and charting new journeys; it is the story of an individual who faced highs and lows at work and at home. Yet, the 5'11" mogul continues to stand tall and proud, wielding an indomitable strength that is always visible, riding the times at full gallop and indelibly inking history, all the while leading, motivating, mentoring, guiding, and most significantly, pioneering. 

A Study of the Caste System in Northern Sri Lanka

Caste, while being one of the dominant socio-economic institutions in the Indian and Sri Lankan societies is also one of the most complicated because of its multiple ramifications. Numerous scholars and researchers have made in-depth studies of the subject and their conclusions in turn have evoked further interest and queries on the subject.

The present study offers a substantial detour into the operational aspects of the system. The main focus of the study lies in the historical reconstruction from the pre-colonial period. An innovative turn of the study is its efforts to cull evidence and information from the literary productions authored by the very victims who suffered under the system. Anti-caste movements and their socio-political transformations form one section. Speaking to and listening from the victims and the perpetrators is the most revealing part of this study, which is a contemporaneous and existent situation. This process has also revealed the different modes of caste operation in the three different regions in Northern Sri Lanka which were covered in the research. 

Depuis Paul et Virginie, les îles fascinent les Français. Les Antilles, La Réunion, Maurice, Tahiti ou Ceylan abritent leurs rêves d'exotisme et leurs plaisirs imaginaires. A Paris, dans les années vingt, on chante Idylle à Colombo.

 Ceylan, l'antique Taprobane, n'est cependant pas une île comme les autres. Sur de nombreuses mappemondes médiévales, elle est située à proximité du Paradis. « Elle n'en est séparée que par une quarantaine de milles italiens », précise même Jean de Marignolli légat du pape, qui, en 1350, a visité l'île verte.

 Étrange Ceylan. Sur la pointe de l'une de ses montagnes, étroite comme une tête d'épingle, se frottent les légendes. Au sommet de l'Adam Peak, l'on voit une empreinte géante. Les catholiques affirment qu'elle est celle du pied d'Adam ; les bouddhistes disent qu'elle est due à celui de Bouddha. À quoi les hindous de l'île répliquent qu'elle a pour origine le pied de Vishnou. En cette confrontation des récits réside, sans doute, le secret de l'attraction de Ceylan. L'île aux divins trésors ouvre sur un domaine où circulent des mythes assez vieux pour offrir à l'Occident quelque chose de neuf et où s'allient réalisme et fantaisie, ascétisme et sensualité.

 Pour découvrir et comprendre l'antique Lanka, il n'est pas de récits plus plaisants que ceux des écrivains réunis dans ce recueil.

Zillij is a collection of short stories adressing and revolving around the question of identity, within an essentially Sri Lankan context.

Zillij is the captivating Islamic traditional art of creating intricate mosaic design using hand-cut tiles.

While most of this volume reflects aspects of Sri Lanka's ethnic and socio-economic struggles, these stories are not merely 'about' Sri Lanka.

Winner of the State Literary Award for Best Short Stories

A poignant travel memoir that tells the story of Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka seemed like a version of paradise to Razeen Sally as a child, but conflict was soon to follow, tearing the family apart and severing their bond with Sri Lanka.

Return to Sri Lanka is the story of a twenty-first century reconciliation between Sally, now an academic and political adviser, and the land of his birth. A travel memoir with deep political concerns, it is a book full of spellbinding beauty and moving insight, from a writer who is a native, a tourist, both and neither.

Sri Lanka conjures images of an island of incredible beauty,

a tropical paradise of golden beaches, mist-shrouded mountains carpeted with tea fields, 2000-year-old cities and archaeological monuments - a land of apparent peace and tranquility. It also evokes a brutal, thirty-year civil war, riven with death, destruction, and racial divides.

Here is a story of a boy growing up in Sri Lanka in the midst of all that beauty and in the run-up to those bitter times. It paints a picture at once familiar and unexpected, with storytelling that is revealing, deeply personal, funny, and sometimes emotional. 

Today, young minds are often spent immersed in virtual worlds where long conversations are a thing of the past. To pass on his family history from generation to generation, a migrant father from Sri Lanka writes a record of his family for his son who grew up in Canada. This book is written as a gift to his son and posterity before the story is lost to the shifting sands of time. 

This is a tale that brings back memories and nostalgia, it is a tale that you will not expect, one that will surprise and charm you.

This modest effort of mine is an appeal to the better nature of fellow Sri Lankans. It is an effort to critically examine the forces that pull us apart. It attempts to reset Muslim relations with the Sinhala majority by addressing other communities' overarching concerns with regard to Muslims. I have also striven to frame this book as a socio-political covenant for the Muslims of Sri Lanka, for self-reflection. I hope this book will shed light on the politics of resentment that has overwhelmed us today. We are all human beings with a natural tendency to seek comfort in making categorical distinctions between our immediate group and others. In this light, the book reiterates the need for peace among all communities. Faith may be a common denominator, but the groups we belong to are socially constructed and not necessarily etched in stone. It is for us to decide which distinctions matter and which we can discard in order to integrate into the larger national mosaic. ~ Rauff Hakeem

Follow in the footsteps of Vibhu, a little church mouse, as he remembers a difficult time in his life.

Vibhu and his friends are caught up in the Easter Sunday bomb attack in Sri Lanka as they observe the Mass from their mouse hole. Amid the chaos, Vibhu realizes that his best friend, Seha, is missing. He makes his way through the debris and faces many obstacles in his search for his missing friend. In the end, Vibhu learns to deal with tragedy, loss, and grief.

The story recalls the events of that tragic day and the aftermath of the attacks through the eyes of these little mice. It ensures that those who lost their lives will never be forgotten. The story will give both children and adults who read it closure and strengthen their faith in humanity.

"The linguistic style is simple yet expressive of the fear and sadness that gripped everyone on that occasion, and the sentiments of sorrow and sharing that animated their minds and hearts. Yet, the author shows how this saddest experience challenged everyone to aspire for the noblest of goals in life: the resolve to rise from the ashes of tragedy to true fraternity, care, and concern for others." ~ His Eminence Malcom Cardinal Ranjith

100% of profits to the victims of the Easter Sunday attacks

The life and times of Jeronis Pieris, as seen through his letters