Piyasena Kahandagamage (1938?- 2003.08.16) is a Sinhala novelist and poet. Born in Baddegama, Galle, Sri Lanka he was a teacher by profession and a union leader. After the UNP government came to power in 1977 he was transferred (as a punishment for his political work) to rural Bintanne in Ampara district, where he based most of his novels.
Kahandagamage lost his job after the 1980 general strike. He started writing several serialized novels and articles for the Divaina newspaper. Most of his stories are based around Dambana area where he lived and worked. He wrote several non-fiction books on Veddha culture, language and Sri Lankan farming methods.
His unique experience living among veddhas and his writings put him among the handful of writers who wrote about the rural Sinhalese and veddhas, including Leonard Woolf and Maya Ranjan. His book Vanagatha Charika was translated to English as Jungle jaunts by Tilak Balasuriya.
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The Vedda, or Wanniyalaeto, are a minority indigenous group of people in Sri Lanka who, among other sub-communities such as Coast Veddas, Anuradhapura Veddas and Bintenne Veddas, are accorded indigenous status. The Vedda minority in Sri Lanka may become completely assimilated. Most speak Sinhala instead of their indigenous languages, which are nearing extinction. It has been hypothesized that the Vedda were probably the earliest inhabitants of Sri Lanka and have lived on the island since before the arrival of other groups from the Indian mainland.
The "Sri Lanka Matha" is the national anthem of Sri Lanka. "Sri Lanka Matha" was composed by Ananda Samarakoon and was originally titled "Namo Namo Matha".
Sigiriya or Sinhagiri is an ancient rock fortress located in the northern Matale District near the town of Dambulla in the Central Province, Sri Lanka. It is a site of historical and archaeological significance that is dominated by a massive column of granite approximately 180 m (590 ft) high.
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 spanning 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.
Siri Gunasinghe was a Sri Lankan academic, poet, Sanskritist, art historian, author and filmmaker. He played a crucial role in honing the creativity of free Sinhala poetry. Gunasinghe was one of the most important advocates of the use of spoken language instead of the literary language in Sinhalese literature.
Sri Lankan Tamils, also known as Ceylon Tamils or Eelam Tamils, are Tamils native to the South Asian island state of Sri Lanka. Today, they constitute a majority in the Northern Province, form the plurality in the Eastern Province and are in the minority throughout the rest of the country. 70% of Sri Lankan Tamils in Sri Lanka live in the Northern and Eastern provinces.
Sri Lankan cinema encompasses the Sri Lankan film industry. It is a fledgling industry that has struggled to find a footing since its inauguration in 1947 with Kadawunu Poronduwa produced by S. M. Nayagam of Chitra Kala Movietone. Sri Lankan films are usually made in Sinhala and Tamil, the dominant languages of the country.
The Last Theorem is a 2008 science fiction novel by Arthur C. Clarke and Frederik Pohl. It was first published in the United Kingdom by HarperVoyager in July 2008, and in the United States by Del Rey Books in August 2008. The book is about a young Sri Lankan mathematician who finds a short proof of Fermat's Last Theorem, while an alien invasion of Earth is in progress.
Gamperaliya is a novel written by Sri Lankan writer Martin Wickremasinghe and first published in 1944. Wickremasinghe subsequently wrote Kaliyugaya and Yuganthaya, as a trilogy encompassing three generation of the same family and the changing society, culture and economic environment of Sri Lanka between the early and mid 20th century.
Chitrananda Abeysekera (1930–1992) was a veteran broadcaster, poet, writer and an administrator. He joined Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation, then Radio Ceylon as a radio announcer and retired as the Director of Sinhala Services in 1989. He was also the President of Aganuwara Tharuna Kavi Samajaya for more than a decade and initiated a lot of programs that benefited poets and the public alike. He restarted Kavi Suwanda, the poetry newspaper for poets. Chitrananda dedicated his whole life to Sinhala poetry and literature, not forgetting Radio Journalism.
Rita Philomina Ratnayake was an actress in Sri Lankan cinema. She became very popular in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s early Sinhala cinema particularly with the role 'Daisy Attanayake' in the blockbuster Kele Handa in 1953.
Ramaya Muttusamy was a prolific Sri Lankan music director and singer. He handled the music for most of K. Gunaratnam's productions.
Asoka Handagama is a Sri Lankan filmmaker. He obtained his primary and secondary schooling in a provincial school and went on to study mathematics at the University of Kelaniya where he was awarded a first class honors degree. He obtained his MSc in Development Economics at Warwick University in 1995. He is also an Assistant Governor of the Sri Lankan Central Bank.
Hemasiri Dhanawatha Liyanage , is an actor in Sri Lankan cinema, theater, and television. He is well known for the dramatic roles in Thattu Gewal and Thaththa teledramas and films Sankranthi, Sthuthi Nawatha Enna and Madhura Charika.
Vidyodaya Vibhushana Sahithya Kala Shiromani Prof. Sunil Ariyaratne Kuruwita Bandara, popularly as Sunil Ariyaratne, is a Sri Lankan scholar, film director, author, poet and a lyricist. One of the most popular filmmakers and lyricists in Sri Lankan cinema, Ariyaratne has won six Sarasaviya awards, four Presidential awards from the year 1981 as a film lyricist and then won three awards as a teledrama lyricists.
Joyful Journeys is a 2018 Sri Lankan Sinhala drama film directed and produced by Udayakantha Warnasuriya. It stars Hemasiri Liyanage in lead role along with Nalin Pradeep Udawela, Madani Malwattage and Kumara Thirimadura. Music composed by Navaratne Gamage.
Daya Dissanayake is a bilingual Sri Lankan novelist, poet and blogger. His work spans a critical study of king Ashoka, nine novels in English, six novels in Sinhala and a collection of poems, and numerous articles in newspapers, journals and magazines. He is the author of the first e-novel in Asia, 'The Saadhu Testament' (1998), and the first e-novel in Sinhala, 'Vessan Novu Wedun' (2003). His first nonfiction work is "Who is Ashoka?" He is the only Sri Lankan writer to receive the Sri Lankan State Literary Award for the best English novel three times and was awarded the SAARC Literary Award in 2013. Being the first Sri Lankan to release his work online and for free access, he is often seen as one of Sri Lanka's earliest and most vocal advocates for the ebook format, copyleft and Creative Commons.
Bogoda Appuhamilage Don Wickrama Bogoda, popularly known as Wickrama Bogoda, was an actor in Sri Lankan cinema and theater. Primarily known for his character acting in both stage plays and movies, he played a leading role in the movie Golu Hadawatha.
Munasinghe Arachchilage Don Bandu, popularly as Bandu Munasinghe, was an actor, and stunt director of Sri Lankan cinema. Particularly acted in cinema in villain roles, Munasinghe was the first stunt director of the Sri Lankan silver screen.
Kannangara Arachchige Sudath Rohana Kannangara, popularly known as Sudath Rohana, is a filmmaker in Sri Lankan cinema and a television director. One of the iconic teledrama directors in Sri Lanka, Rohana has produced several critically acclaimed award-winning television serials such as Wana Wadule Wasanthaya, Beddde Gedara, Karuwala Gedara, Swayanjatha and Girikula.
