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| Sunday, 23 February 2003 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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First Encyclopaedia on Sri Lanka in English The first encyclopaedia on Sri Lanka in English - an A to Z guide to the country's history, politics, culture, people and places will be ceremonially released at 5.00 p.m. on the 25th at the Galle Face Hotel's Palm Lounge. The encyclopaedia is a source of information on the country's geography and history, economics and politics, races and religions, art and culture, monuments, education and health, agriculture, industries, trade, media and communications. It covers such issues as the ethnic conflict, population growth and privatisation and such aspects of the country as banking, the garment industry, cinema and food. There is a strong biographical component, with entries on both contemporary personalities and figures from the past; kings and queens, presidents and prime ministers, writers, artists, film-makers, academics, scientists, sports persons. A third of the biographical entries are on women. There are full lists of the work of the writer Martin Wickramasinghe and of the films made by Lester James Peris. Secretary to the Prime Minister Bradman Weerakoon will chair the event and the Minister of Human Resources Development, Education and Cultural Affairs, Dr. Karunasena Kodituwakku, will release the first copy. Nirupam Sen, High Commissioner for India in Sri Lanka will be the Guest of Honour and Ms Manel Abayasekera, former diplomat now President of the Sri Lanka Women's Conference, will speak about the publication. The encyclopaedia has been compiled by C. A. Gunawardena, a former journalist who handled press and information work in Sri Lanka's diplomatic mission in London and New Delhi and was later Director of Information at the Commonwealth Secretariat in London. The book is published by Sterling Publishers of New Delhi, one of India's leading book publishers. The Sarasavi Bookshop, Nugegoda is the local distributor. A hardback, it is priced at Rs. 1,500. Sarasavi's Managing Director H. D. Premasiri said: "We are happy to be associated with this book, which breaks new ground and will be a valuable addition to the reference literature on Sri Lanka. Managing Director of Sterling Publishers Surinder Ghai, will himself be here for the launch of the encyclopaedia. That is a sign of the importance the publisher attaches to this publication". |
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