Career
After graduating from the Peradeniya University, he joined the Peradeniya University as a temporary assistant lecturer and was an academic getting promoted to senior lecturer, associate professor, professor and senior professor until he retired in 2004. He obtained M.Phil. (Linguistics) from the University of York (England) in 1968 and his Ph.D. (Sociology of Language) from Monash University (Australia) in 1979. During his career he has received many international awards such as Fellowship from the Japan Foundation for the Promotion of Science, Scholar in Residence Award (Fulbright-Hays)Fellowship, International Forum of US Studies (Univ. of Iowa) and Senior Fellowship, The School of Oriental and African Studies, The University of London.
He had written many books both in Sinhala and English on a variety of subjects that have been published locally and abroad.
He is also the chief editor of the Sinhala Encyclopedia. The Rajarata University of Sri Lanka honored him with the award of D.Litt. (Honoris Causa) in 2012.
Gunadasa Amarasekera is a prominent Sinhala writer, poet, and essayist from Sri Lanka.
Veditantirige Ediriweera Ranjitha Sarachchandra, popularly known as Ediriweera Sarachchandra Sinhala: එදිරිවීර සරච්චන්ද්ර), was a Sri Lankan playwright, novelist, poet, literary critic, essayist and social commentator. Considered as the premier playwright in Sri Lanka, Sarachchandra produced several critically acclaimed theatre plays in a career spanned for more than four decades. He also served as a senior lecturer at the University of Peradeniya for many years and as Sri Lankan Ambassador to France from 1974 to 1977.
Nalanda College is a leading Buddhist school in Sri Lanka where provides primary and secondary education for Sri Lankan boys. The school was established by P. de S. Kularatne as an offshoot of Ananda College Colombo and was registered as a separate school on 1 November 1924.
Swarna Mallawarachchi, is an actress in Sri Lankan cinema. Often known as the "Golden star of Sinhalese cinema", Swarna began her acting career whilst still a schoolgirl, starring in the 1966 blockbuster film Sath Samudura directed by Siri Gunasinghe. During a career spanning over 40 years, Swarna has won the 'Best Actress Award' 26 times, most by a Sri Lankan actress.
Mapatunage James "M. J." Perera was a Sri Lankan civil servant with nine members in his family in Udumulla, Padukka. He created broadcasting history by being the first Ceylonese Director General of Radio Ceylon, the oldest radio station in South Asia, taking over the helm from John Lampson of the BBC.
Sri Lanka Ranajana Dr Sarath Gunapala is a solid-state physicist, senior research scientist and group supervisor at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. He works primarily in Quantum Well Infrared Photo Detecting. He is also a board member of Quantum Well Infrared Photodetector Technologies LLC. Gunapala lives in the suburbs of Los Angeles. He was born in Sri Lanka.
Kala Keerthi Dr Bastian Koralage Henry Rudrigo Jayasena, popularly known as Henry Jayasena, was an actor in Sri Lankan cinema, theater and television. With a career spanning more than four decades, Jayasena is considered one of the best dramatists in Sri Lankan drama.
Wijayatunga Mudalige Harischandra Wijayatunga is a Sri Lankan author, translator, lexicographer, teacher, lawyer and politician. He held various offices in different institutions of the Government of Sri Lanka. At present he is the leader of Sinhalaye Mahasammatha Bhoomiputra Party. During the presidential elections of 1994 and 1999, he was the candidate of that party for this high office.
Kala Suri Premasara Epasinghe, is a Sri Lankan cricket commentator and journalist. Considered as an iconic radio personality in Sri Lankan radio, Premasara became a household name in Sri Lankan cricket commentary history.
Upawansa Yapa PC was the 37th Solicitor General of Sri Lanka.
Wanigasekara Wanasinghe Mudiyanse Ralahamilage Pradeep Nilanga Dela is the present Diyawadana Nilame or Chief Custodian of Sri Dalada Maligawa and 19th Diyawadana Nilame. He acted as the Basnayake Nilame of Ruhunu Maha Kataragama devalaya and Sabaragamu Maha Saman devalaya, before being elected to the post of Diyawadana Nilame on July 1, 2005.
Sisira Senaratne, was a Sri Lankan singer and lyricist also worked as a playback singer in Sinhala cinema. A career spanned for more than six decades, Senaratne has sung several popular songs Olu Nelum Neliya, Seeta Diyareli, Nuhuru Nupuruda, Mage Puthuta Mal, and Gaya Geethayan Game. He along with wife Indrani Wijebandara played a pivotal role in ushering in a new era in Sinhala music in the 1950s.
Dr Ranjith Laxman Wijayawardana was a Sri Lankan physicist and the Chairman of Atomic Energy Authority (AEA) of Sri Lanka. Specialising in nuclear physics, he was also a senior lecturer at the University of Peradeniya.
Sucharitha Gamlath (10 March 1934 – 30 March 2013) was a veteran professor of Sinhala, and a bright student of the Peradeniya University. After that he functioned as the dean of the Sinhala Language Faculty of the Jaffna University. He has also served in the University of Ruhuna and Rajarata University of Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka. And he was a well-known scholastic in linguistics and critiques who has authored a number of books on language, literature, arts and politics.
Kala Suri Somalatha Subasinghe was a Sri Lankan actress, playwright, theatre director and educator from Sri Lanka. She received both the Kala Suri and the Kala Keerthi in recognition of her contribution to Sri Lankan theatre.
Sampath Tennakoon, was an actor in Sri Lankan cinema, theater and television.
Kala Keerthi Vini Vitharana was a Sri Lankan Sinhalese linguist, professor, lecturer and a scholar. 1 He was well known for his significant contributions to Sinhala literature. During his lifetime, he was rated as one of the prominent notable educators in the country.
The 19th Presidential Film Awards festival, presented by the Sri Lanka Film Corporation with the collaboration of the Presidential Secretariat and the Ministry of Parliamentary Reforms and Mass Media, was held on July 29, 1996, at the Nelum Pokuna Mahinda Rajapaksa Theatre, Colombo 07, Sri Lanka. His Excellency The President Maithripala Sirisena was the chief guest at the awards night.
Algama Koralalage Lionel Kumaradasa Perera, popularly known as Lionel Algama was a Sri Lankan singer, composer and a musician. Considered one of the most respected musicians in Sinhala song, Algama is most notable for the invention of a musical instrument known as ‘Sri Veena’.
