Books

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

Join Michael Rohan Sourjah on his motorcycle adventures around the world. Get on to a legendary Royal Enfield and let yourself be guided to the far corners of Sri Lanka, exploring everything this amazing country has to offer.

Ride to the ancient cities of Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa and marvel at ancient ruins and reservoirs; get on fantastic motorcycling roads that take you through majestic mountains, extensive tea plantations, forests and lovely waterfalls; cruise along the coast to explore imposing colonial military forts; relax on clean sandy beaches and visit old temples, kovils, churches and mosques; join wildlife safaris to watch elephants, leopards, birds, whales and dolphins and combine all of this with a variety of delicious food and drinks from different cultures that make up the hodgepodge of people living on the island.

Dense green forests in Yala, white-sand coasts in Trincomalee, azure waters off the south coast, Anuradhapura's ancient temples, and cricket.

Civil war, political assassinations, internally displaced communities, industrial-scale corruption. 

All are Sri Lanka. As are smug bureaucrats, nosy neighbours. and stray dogs with serious axes to grind.

Through the eyes of Andrew Fidel Fernando, cricket writer par excellence, both a local and a tourist in his home country, Sri Lanka comes to life as he hurtles down hills in Kandy, breathes in the history at the rock fortress of Sigiriya, grapples with the aftermath of war in Jaffna, and has himself evicted from restaurants near Galle. Weaving through all manner of villages, paddy fields, mountains, jungles and marshlands, and pausing for the pests at grimy guesthouses and the vacationers of luxury hotels, Fernando has the time for every genre of person and wildlife in this chaotic, exquisite, frustrating, bewitching, tumultuous and intoxicating land.

Hilariously witty, yet wistfully sombre, Upon A Sleepless Isle is the story of a country and a people caught between long historical traditions and global capitalism, resulting in this ingenious paradise.

"A hilarious, nuanced and elegant work that grapples with Sri Lanka's complexities, and celebrates its beauty" - Shehan Karunatilaka

Roo is a little Tuk Tuk. From road races, to Polo tournaments, to animal rescues, this little vehicle has lived life to its fullest. Experience the joys and perils of Tuk Tuks on the streets, and learn many life lessons along the way with this courageous Tuk Tuk who is always ready to lend a helping hand and spread some cheer.

You are never too little to make a difference...

With seven full-page colour illustrations by Privanka Fernando

Eyesha is a baby elephant who is just learning the etiquette and behaviour expected of the largest land mammal in the world. She visits the Minneriya Tank with her family for the first time to participate in the annual Great Gathering. Curious and adventurous, she makes new friends, but is soon lost and in trouble. How will little Eyesha find her way back to her mother?

With spectacular illustrations by Manoshi de Silva that capture the beauty of the region and a well-researched Glossary and Fun Facts page that encourage children to appreciate animals in the wild, Eyesha and the Great Elephant Gathering is an entertaining and educational book for children.

"That's it. After reading this book I want to quit the human race and join the far more civilized world of Asian Elephants. Highly recommended for any parent who wants to open their children's eyes to the wonder and warmth of other species on our planet" - Nancy Heinzel (Amazon Review)