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Winners of 30th Gratiaen prize and H.A.I. Goonetileke prize for translation announced
The joint winners of the Gratiaen Prize 2022 are Chiranthi Rajapakse for her short story collection Keeping Time and Other Stories, and Yudhanjaya Wijeratne for his novel The Wretched and The Damned. Chiranthi Rajapakse was shortlisted for the Gratiaen Prize 2017 for her short story collection Names and Numbers and is a writer, lawyer and developmental professional, while Yudhanjaya Wijeratne is a science fiction writer, activist and data scientist. The winners were announced at an event held at Westminster House, Colombo, the official residence of the British High Commissioner, on 17 June.
At the same event the H.A.I. Goonetileke Prize for Translation, a Prize awarded biannually, was given to Manel Eriyagama for Jewels, a translation of 14 Sinhala language short stories compiled by her and published by Sarasavi.
Shortlisted for the Gratiaen Prize this year were, Flowers Teach Me to Let Go by Isurinie Anuradha Mallawaarachchi, Keeping Time and Other Stories by Chiranthi Rajapakse, Samsara by Shirani Rajapakse, and The Wretched and The Damned by Yudhanjaya Wijeratne.
This year the jury for the prize was chaired by Romesh Gunesekera, an internationally acclaimed, award-winning author and an elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. The other jury members were Sukanya Wignaraja, a psychotherapist by profession, a former editor at Oxford University Press, New Delhi, and an avid reader of literature; and Dr Kaushalya Perera, a Senior Lecturer in English at the Dept. of English, University of Colombo, whose research interests span linguistics and literature. Commenting on the joint award, Romesh Gunesekera stated that it was a unanimous decision which reflected the jury’s desire to reward two markedly contrasting and effective styles of prose writing, showcasing the diversity and vitality of contemporary creative writing in English in Sri Lanka. In their citations of these works at the shortlist, the judges had observed that “Keeping Time was a book of stories that gave us glimpses of contemporary life that stayed with us and grew stronger with every reading”, while “The Wretched and The Damned was a “bold challenge and a book of the times for reflecting the upheavals of Sri Lanka’s immediate past and present which brought a set of fantasy heroes to the Sri Lankan landscape to deal with possible futures and impossible solutions.”
Winners with judges: Dr Kaushalya Perera, Sukanya Wignaraja and the joint winners of the Gratiaen Prize 2022 Yudhanjaya Wijeratne for his novel The Wretched and The Damned and Chiranthi Rajapakse for her short story collection Keeping Time and Other Stories, and Romesh Gunesekera
The jury for the H.A.I. Goonetileke Prize for Translation was chaired by Dr Prabha Manuratne, a Senior Lecturer at the Department of English, University of Kelaniya, and a well-known film and literary critic who writes both in Sinhala and English. Other jury members were Dr Ponni Arasu, an activist, historian, theatre practitioner, lawyer and translator who works in Tamil, and Kaushalya Kumarasinghe, a Sri Lankan Sinhala language novelist and translator. Commenting on the winning entry, the judges stated that they gave the award to Jewels by Manel Eriyagama because she had taken on the challenge of translating stories that had a wide range of styles, themes and voices, and done justice to them all.
In her remarks at the event, Chair of the Gratiaen Trust, Prof. Neloufer de Mel drew from Michael Ondaatje’s novel In the Skin of the Lion to reflect on institution building and the journey of the Trust these past 30 years, including how it has adapted to changes in the literary scene. She thanked the past Chairmen and Trustees for steering the Trust, and John Keells Foundation, the Primary Sponsor of the Trust for the past five years, the British Council that has been with the Trust since its inception and now partners with the Trust in a programme which brings UK-based writers to Sri Lanka for workshops and guest talks, the Marga institute that provides secretarial services to the Trust and the Wijeya Group of newspapers for media sponsorship. Prof. de Mel further observed that despite the challenging economic environment, this sponsorship has enabled the Trust to expand its activities considerably. This includes the Gratiaen Young Writers Club, open mic events and undergraduate creative writing workshops to mentor young people in creative writing.
The U.S. Embassy in Colombo welcomed the U.S. Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, former National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players Stephen Howard and Astou Ndiaye, from June 8 through 14.
The Public Diplomacy section of the U.S. Embassy said that it would launch a weeklong basketball program intended to harness the unifying power of sports, made possible through collaboration with Foundation of Goodness and IImpact Hoop Lab.
While in Sri Lanka, Howard and Ndiaye, both retired professional basketball players, will conduct a weeklong program, Hoops for Hope: Bridging Borders through Basketball. The Sports Envoys will lead basketball clinics and exhibition matches and engage in leadership sessions in Colombo and Southern Province for youth aged 14-18 from Northern, Uva, Eastern and Western Provinces, offering skills and leadership training both on and off the court. The U.S. Envoys will also share their expertise with the Sri Lanka Basketball Federation, national coaches, and players, furthering the development of basketball in the country. Beyond the clinics, they will collaborate with Sri Lankan schoolchildren to take part in a community service project in the Colombo area.
“We are so proud to welcome Stephen and Astou as our Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, to build on the strong people-to-people connections between the United States and Sri Lanka,” said U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung. “The lessons that will be shared by our Sports Envoys – communication, teamwork, resilience, inclusion, and conflict resolution – are essential for leadership development, community building, equality, and peace. The U.S. Sports Envoy program is a testament to our belief that sports can be a powerful tool in promoting peace and unity.”
SJB Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahuman in parliament demanded to know from the government the reasons for CEB suspending the leave of all its employees until further notice from Thursday.
MP Rahuman said that the CEB has got an acting General Manager anew and the latter yesterday morning issued a circular suspending leave of all CEB employees with immediate effect until further notice.
“We demand that Minister Kanchana Wijesekera should explain this to the House. This circular was issued while this debate on the new Electricity Amendment Bill was pending. There are many who oppose this Bill. The Minister must tell parliament the reason for the urge to cancel the leave of CEB employees,” the MP said.However, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena prevented Minister Wijesekera responding to the query and said that the matter raised by MP Rahuman was not relevant.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) successfully concluded the 8th Annual CIPM Symposium, which took place on 31st May 2024. Themed “Nurturing the Human Element—Redefining HRM in a Rapidly Changing World,” the symposium underscored the pivotal role of human resource management (HRM) in today’s dynamic global landscape. Since its inception in 1959, CIPM has been dedicated to advancing the HR profession through education, professional development, and advocacy, solidifying its position as Sri Lanka’s leading professional body for HRM.
Ken Vijayakumar, the President of the CIPM, graced the occasion as the chief guest. The symposium commenced with the welcome address by the Chairperson, Prof. Arosha Adikaram, followed by the Web Launch of the Symposium Proceedings and Abstract Book by the CIPM President. The event featured distinguished addresses, including a speech by Chief Guest Ken Vijayakumar, President of CIPM, and an address by Guest of Honor Shakthi Ranatunga, Chief Operating Officer of MAS Holdings Pvt. Ltd., Sri Lanka.
The symposium also featured an inspiring keynote address by Prof. Mario Fernando, Professor of Management and Director of the Centre for Cross Cultural Management (CCCM) at the University of Wollongong, Australia.
Vote of Thanks of the inauguration session was delivered by Dr. Dillanjani Weeratunga, Symposium Co-chair.
The symposium served as a comprehensive platform for researchers to present their findings across a wide range of critical topics in HRM. These included Cultural Diversity and Inclusion, Talent Development and Retention, Ethical Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility, Adapting to Technological Advancements, Mental Health and Well-being at Work, Global Workforce Challenges, Employee Empowerment, and Reskilling and Upskilling.
The plenary session was led by Prof. Wasantha Rajapakse. Certificates were awarded to the best paper presenters during the valedictory session, followed by a vote of thanks delivered by Kamani Perera, Manager of Research and Development.
The annual symposium of CIPM was a truly inclusive event, attracting a diverse audience that spanned undergraduates, graduates, working professionals, research scholars and lecturers. This widespread interest highlights the symposium’s significance in the field of HRM, offering a unique opportunity for everyone to network and learn from scholarly brains.The CIPM International Research Symposium was sponsored by Hambantota International Port, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), E B Creasy & Co. PLC, and Print Xcel Company.
US sports envoys to Lanka to champion youth development
Rahuman questions sudden cancellation of leave of CEB employees
