The quiet click of an arrow being notched is followed by a muted thud as it embeds itself in a bolt of straw. The sounds carry over the gentle patter of rain drenching the quiet garden in Thalawathugoda where Keerthi and Lalani Wickramarathne run their dojo. Here, the couple teach the ancient martial art of … Continue reading
Latest Entries
Kannan Arunasalam: On making the ‘I Am’ series
In Kannan Arunasalam’s ‘I Am’ series every one of the narrators is given a title, a designation if you will. Retired school principal S. Thoradeniya is dubbed ‘The Reader,’ Bala Tampoe is ‘The Union Leader,’ Helga de Silva is ‘The Warrior Queen,’ The Venerable Walatara Sobhita Nayaka Thera is ‘The Chief Monk.’ If one were … Continue reading
Madiha Sikandar: A Miniature Painter in Pakistan
The flower casts a shadow, the rhinoceros kicks up dust; a tracery of thin veins appear just under the delicate skin of one petal, sharp thorns sprout from another sturdy stem. When people see Madiha Sikandar’s work for the first time, her first challenge often lies in convincing them it’s not ‘real’ – “I can’t … Continue reading
Maya Krishna Rao: Dancing Ravana into Life
Maya Krishna Rao is pleased to find herself here, on the isle of Ravana. She’s been in pursuit of this elusive king for years and yet his essential nature continues to elude her. “It’s special to be here because in Sri Lanka, you’ve feted the man, and given him all the status that he actually … Continue reading
DJ Taylor: A Tale of Two Authors
Before there was Pottermania, there was Dickensmania. In his lifetime, Charles Dickens was a phenomenon and now, 200 hundred years after he was born, Dickens remains one of the world’s most beloved novelists. This February marks the author’s bicentenary and it is fuelling a surge of interest in all things Dickensian. At the heart of … Continue reading
Sharni Jayawardena and CEPA: Chronicling the Human Cost of Development
The hullabaloo that greeted the opening of the E01 in late 2011 may have been somewhat out of proportion to what one might expect a mere expressway would warrant – but while they’re common enough elsewhere, this was a first for Sri Lanka. The 128km of winding concrete ribbon made travelling from Kottawa in … Continue reading
Shashi Tharoor: An Interloper in Indian Politics
Dr. Shashi Tharoor is in between a sessions with Tom Stoppard and Nayantara Sahgal when I finally catch up with him in the library at Amangalla in Galle Fort. As his 1.2 million followers on twitter already know, he’s in Galle for GLF. His resume on the site is also handy in that it compresses … Continue reading
Richard Dawkins: ‘My driving force is a love of truth…’
I keep a wary eye peeled for religious fanatics and rabid atheists as I lead Dr. Richard Dawkins through the Governor’s Mansion in Galle. Both would only try to hijack my subject, (albeit for very different reasons) and I am intent on shepherding my charge through to where a modest verandah abuts a small garden. … Continue reading
Mihin Amarasinghe: Conquering Ama Dablam
The view from the summit of Ama Dablam is said to be incomparable – a 360 degree vista edged all around by the cloud wreathed peaks of the Himalayas. Defining the edges of the horizon are the giants, Mt. Everest and Lhotse and there too is Nuptse and Pumori, the mountain known as ‘Everest’s daughter.’ … Continue reading
Alison Skilbeck: Four Women in One
Alison Skilbeck is showing me how to read her feet. “It’s where you put the weight in your body and how you place your feet,” she says. Standing up, she demonstrates, turning her toes in and hunching ever so slightly. “If I were to say to you that I’m a very confident person, would you … Continue reading
Smriti Daniel 