Update on Sri Lankan writing

Did you know that Arathi, Nihal de Silva's unfinished novel, which he was writing during the time of his tragic death, has been published by Vijitha Yapa? I wonder if anyone has read it yet. It's almost complete, except for the ending, and the family of the writer with the publisher has decided to ask people to write a conclusion as a competition.

Ending or no ending, it's a wonderful thriller. It's set in contemporary urban Sri Lanka with war and corruption as the backdrop, and as always, the story hinges on a romance! I'm sure you'll all enjoy it.

Another very different book that's in the news these days is Prashani Rambukwelle's Mythil's Secret, which is probably the first children's book to be shortlisted for the Gratiaen Prize. It falls into the genre of children's fanstasy fiction like the Harry Potters etc, but the novelty is that it has a totally Sri Lankan setting. It's about a boy who encounters the supernatural -- ie yakas -- during his school holidays when he visits his grandmother. This story is also set in contemporary times, and what's really interesting about the book is that it's actually quite satirical as it addresses several 'grown up' issues through the young boy's story, through a lot of humour. Okay, that's all I'm going to tell you about the book or I'll spoil it for you.

If you'd like to borrow my copy of either book, please let me know and I'll leave it for you at the department. If you have already read them, do share your thoughts on them by posting a comment here!