Books

Shortlisted for the Gratiaen Prize

Sit back and let yourself be swept along in Sunela Jayewardene's intrepid journeys across Lanka's lush countryside. Join her and rediscover myth & legend, history & heritage as she adroitly describes nature's enduring beauty and oft forgotten traditions that pulse to the beat of an unseen drum. Line of Lanka is a brilliant and unusual portrayal of a country and its people that will change your perceptions of Sri Lanka.

'With a poet's eye for beauty, Jayewardene explores the spiritual landscape of Sri Lanka' – John Gimlette, The Elephant Complex

'A personal travelogue that defies easy bracketing' – Sanjana Hattotuwa, Groundviews

'A composite of many stories woven out on forgotten trails' – Gehan de Silva Wijeyeratne

Faith Ratnayake, Neluka Silva, Simon Harris, Rossana Favero-Karunaratne, Gavitha Ganesan, Premini Amerasinghe, Chandini Kirinde, Lal Medawattegedera, Lolita Subasinghe

Journey to a strange village and learn the secret of their hats or travel in time to towns in Sri Lanka with a genii. Read about the dilemma of a cat that is forbidden to hunt or dream about building an aeroplane that will fly over golden paddy fields. In this collection MilkRice enthusiastically presents nine stories for children from new and established writers.

'Like kiributh, that favourite of the children's festive table, the stories assembled here present a feast that is not only delicious but sustaining. The next time you need to buy gifts for bright, intelligent young friends, forget about Barbie dolls and computer games. Give them Milk Rice' – Yasmine Gooneratne

THE MYSTICAL EXPLORER WINS is a book of spiritual awakening.

Born after many years of deep study and daily application, the author Anne de Costa made a conscious decision to change her life by practicing gratitude and forgiveness on a daily basis. By the powerful use of positive affirmations she shows one how to change thinking and speech patterns, bringing about a change of consciousness. This book comes into your hands for you to be able to connect with the spirit within and unlock the spirit of opulence.

Enter a realm of occupational angst, parental abandonment and working class mentality...

Chiranthi Rajapakse gives us a fine collection of short stories with an unforgettable cast of small city characters who cope with life in a fast changing environment. Insightful and original, these stories offset relentless progress against guilty introspection. Her measured prose is subtle and sober, evocative of the yearnings of a country in flux.

Shortlisted for the Gratiaen prize

The Big Girl & Other Stories is a retro-collection of stories by the talented posthumous author Alagu Subramaniam.

They recount scenes of life in Jaffna more than 50 years ago. The book which had disappeared from circulation has now been updated and reprinted in its entirety.
These stories evocatively capture the ethos of an era now past and will leave you nostalgic for a simpler time.

"Mr Subramaniayam could have had a sound practice at the English Bar, but he preferred to pursue his literary work, which is of a higher order" - Lester Hutchinson, D es L., Former MP (British House of Commons)

"Stories told sardonically and succinctly" - Philip Day, Sunday Times (London)

A journey with Jayanthi Kuru-Utumpala and Johann Peries

The duo met in 2011, and made their first expedition together in 2012, climbing Island Peak in the Nepali Himalayas, which allowed them to realise that they worked well together as a team. On the way they spotted Mount Everest and shared their dream of climbing it one day with each other. In 2014 they climbed Mount Kilimanjaro together. Following this, they began working towards the challenge of Mount Everest.

This is the story of their journey in 2016.

Growing stellar performers in organizations

Against the backdrop of the Indian Ocean, in the early hours of the morning, are two men who walk on the beach sharing their life stories.

Encapsulated in a moving story of ambition, success, family and crises is a series of anecdotes that talk about the purpose and fulfillment at work and life as a whole.

'Amidst a sea of publications that often over-complicate the purpose and practice of leadership, coaching and mentoring, Rozaine and Pujitha guide the reader through the evidence-based research that sits behind the art and science of authentic leadership. The highly relatable characters make it a thoroughly enjoyable and inspirational read.' - Dr Chintha Dissanayake

'It simply amazes me to read an outstanding, exemplary, thought provoking series of writings, presented after much research on the challenges behing growing stellar performers in organizations.' - Romesh Moraes

Anne Abayasekara started her career in 1947 as the first female Sri Lankan staff journalist.

In the highly productive decades that followed she wrote on a variety of themes. This book covers the themes of the changing role of women, love of motherland, and family and home life. It also includes a section on how others viewed her. The book is bound to captivate readers - both those acquainted with her writing and those with no knowledge of it, stirring their hearts and minds.

'She always managed to marshal her material and then produce a coherent, beautiful pattern, an expression of simple but vibrant language.' - Siri Ranawake

 

 

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

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.

'Voices of Peace' weaves together the narratives of ten former LTTE cadres and ten SLM personnel who actively fought at the front lines.

These once active agents in war; have become passive witnesses in the transition to peace. This book provides a platform for the stories of these unheard voices of Sri Lanka's protracted conflict and a safe space to restore their agency, by empowering them in the ongoing peace process. In 'Voices of Peace' we hear their story by listening to them rather than talking about them. In a country that has long been divided, it gives us the opportunity to interact with both sides of the conflict, blur the lines between divisions, and start thinking about our common goals. It is a discovery of what 'we do not yet know' about the conflict and post-conflict situation. By listening to their voices, we can discover what more needs to be done for peace and reconciliation in Sri Lanka. 'Voices of Peace' aims to encourage meaningful public discussion and the continuation of dialogue, and help pave the way to a Sri Lanka where diversity is recognized, accepted, and even celebrated.

An enchanted Firebird. A lost sister. And a brother who goes to bring her back.

Nalinika and Indrajit lived quiet little lives with their pets. Every evening, they would listen spellbound to Podihami weave tales of ogres, cobra kings, and a Firebird who enchants a princess. But one day, Nalinika disappears, and Indrajit is convinced she has been taken to the land of the Firebird, never to return.

Thus begins a one-thing-leads-to-another adventure of a lifetime and a desperate search for his sister, where Indrajit hopes that a miracle just might happen.

Brought to life with beautiful illustrations by Panchali Ellepola, The Firebird is a story of a brother's love that conquers all obstacles that cross his path.

One man's epic journey of self-discovery across continents and borders reveals the universal bond that connects all of humanity.

An olive stone tossed Sam Benson out of his Isle of Skye home in pursuit of the most elusive of human desires - happiness. Half a world away, Rohan enters adulthood and leaves Sri Lanka in search of a better life.

Sam, ambling through Europe on his motorbike and Rohan cutting across the world in a plane, eventually meet in Milan. Neither of them could have known their destinies would change in a fraction of a second. Ultimately, broken hearts and shattered lives lead one of them to understand himself in a way he's never managed to before.

Quick moving, intense and at times wildly exciting, The Ripple Effect is an inspired road trip. It is the story of a man on the run from himself and his bittersweet realization that nothing is as it seems. This novel of a heartbreaking tangle of personal histories is a stunning debut from author Gavin Major.

An expatriate reflects upon the 2011 Rugby World Cup, Sport, Society, and New Zealand

After a forty year voluntary exile an expatriate Kiwi returns to New Zealand to travel around while reporting on the 2011 Rugby World Cup.

Return to Rugby Land is a challenging and provocative social commentary encompassing more than just the games or the scenery. Scott explores sport's place in society, along with the myths, psyche, and anxieties of a small nation. While questioning comfortable shibboleths, including about Maori and women, his personal account offers heartfelt insights and a broad understanding of New Zealand inextricably linked to the omnipresent game of Rugby.

The mysteries of the world are all but gone. For thousands of years, Sri Lanka was the abode of the martial art Angampora, a sophisticated ancient discipline that was fortified with military philosophy, a deep spiritual connection with nature, and a deadly array of combat techniques. The dramatic saga of this exotic art begins with legends that date back to the dim recesses of time and unfolds to the present day, where it has survived after enduring the onslaughts of three centuries of colonialism and political unrest in Sri Lanka's recent past.

Angampora: A Nation's Legacy in Pictures is a stunning pictorial narrative of this ageless martial art. For the first time in the world, the art will be showcased in breathtaking pictures that captures the vast span of its influence on Sri Lanka's history and culture. From artefacts never seen before to combat techniques that have remained in supreme secrecy for centuries; and illustrating the art's vibrant esoteric rituals as well as its secretive and deadly node science, Angampora: A Nation's Legacy in Pictures brings to the world an unparalleled work of Sri Lankan research and photography. Written by Deshamanya Ajantha Mahanthaarachchi, the heir of the Korathota Aracchis, one of Sri Lanka's oldest surviving Angam lineages, and photographed by Reza Akram, this book is a seminal work on an undiscovered cultural legacy of Sri Lanka.

A regular Friday night finds a wealthy trust-fund Colombo native on a gay dating app trying to find someone for a few hours. In walks a British expat, looking for a few moments of pleasure and not much else. What is supposed to be a run-of-the-mill one-night experience becomes something quite different. Over two one-day encounters, the two men make love, tell stories, inebriate and commiserate, and in the process share their lives with each other.

As the pair tangle between lovemaking and connection, sex and sexuality, love and lust, The One Who Loves You So grapples with the complexities of short-term intimacy and asks what becomes of love when it has no recourse to future illusions. The One Who Loves You So is a candid and honest love story; a play about our universal struggle for connection.

Winner of the Gratiaen Prize 2018