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by Ranga Chandrarathne

Ashok Ferrey, the writer of one of the most popular collection of short stories; Colpetty People, who enjoys antiquity says that, I love and cherish all old things. Old houses, old cars. Even the wife." He read Pure Mathematics at the Oxford University, but says, in his life, he has been many things: failed builder, indifferent mathematician, barman, and personal trainer to the rich and infamous.

He lives in Colombo with his wife and two kids in an old house. Ferrey enjoys a refined, yet simple life-style in the heart of the city of Colombo, which is invaded, by a fast moving life style with mushrooming nightclubs and hotels.

I met his father-in-law; the renowned inventor of, amongst other things, the hand-held tractor which revolutionised farming techniques in Asia, at the Centre for Society and Religion, where he said, my son-in-law is a good boy, but he has entered the so called Literary Field. He seems to be nonplussed about his son-in-law's new-found career.

Question: Are these stories fact or fiction?

Answer: Fiction, all fiction! Anyone who says otherwise will be taken out at dawn and shot.

Question: And the author's fictional too, right?

A: Whatever gave you that idea? The author is very much alive. It's just that he's quite a different entity from me. He can tell you all the unpalatable truths I can't. So when you want to throw rotten eggs, you can throw them at him.

Question: So there's more to this book than just humour then?

A: I really hope so. I mean you can read it straight through for the humour alone. But there are certain underlying truths which may only come out later, if you care to read it a second time.

Question: But don't you think the humour might detract from the message? Aren't you afraid people won't take you seriously?

A: It's a risk I have to take. For myself I feel humour is possibly the only way to get the message across. It's the sugar coating on what is at times a very bitter pill.

Question: What do you think about the quality of English literature coming out of Sri Lanka today?

A: Gosh, there's lots of brilliant English writing coming out of Sri Lanka today. It's a real class. Pity this book isn't part of it.

Question: How did you come to start writing?

A: I wrote a little bit here, a little bit there, and over the years it all added up. It's a great relaxation for me, very therapeutic. They even let me out once a month now to visit the relatives. The bus from Angoda is quite convenient.

Question: Before you published Colpetty People were you nervous about showing it to other people? And what did they say?

A: I showed it to a few people, I was extremely nervous. I can't really tell you what they thought, though. They haven't spoken to me since.

Question: But it's been a runaway best-seller hasn't it?

A: Four thousand copies last year, and the fifth print's just come out. It just goes to show there are people out there almost as mad as I. It's very encouraging, really. But I'm trying to build a tsunami house with the royalties and I have a long way to go yet.

Question: I think part of its success may be due to your particular style of writing. You seem to like short words, short sentences. Why?

A: There's this theory, especially here in Sri Lanka, that big thoughts and serious concepts need flowery words, long convoluted sentences. I've never understood why. There's no reason the quality of thought should suffer just because the words are short. Short is elegant, short is beautiful. Long sentences send me to sleep.

Question: What does your father-in-law, the famous scientist, think about your book?

A: He is unaware that his son-in-law has written anything. He thoroughly enjoyed Ashok Ferrey's book though.

Question: In your book you describe yourself as an indifferent mathematician. Is this true?

A: I read Pure Mathematics at University. Actually, I was having far too good a time to read anything. Well, after the degree (for which I got a third, a bad third) I had made this bookcase for a Turkish friend of mine. The bookcase was looking quite empty - he didn't do much reading either - so I gifted him my books to fill it. Some of those books were in pristine condition, quite unread. One of these days I'll go back and reclaim them and have a good read.

Question: Tell me a little bit about your car.

A: Oh the car! It's twenty-six-years-old, and its painted pale green. I actually wanted a watery blue, but the paint baas was colour-blind, or UNP. Or both. It's got big holes, so I'm very lucky, I don't need air-conditioning. Sadly, the children don't like to be seen in it.

They try their best to get me to drop them ten yards from the school gates. But I resist. The other day it got stuck in the floods at Thunmulla, and I had to abandon it by the roadside. The kids were praying it wouldn't be there when I went back in the afternoon. It was.

Question: So you obviously like old things?

A: I love and cherish all old things. Old houses, old cars. Even the wife. I haven't tried abandoning her by the roadside though. Not yet.

Question: In your stories you seem to be able to climb inside the minds of your characters quite easily, whether they are men, women or children.

A: I think any writer has to be able to do this, write as half man, half woman. In this case half man, half woman, halfwit.

Question: Tell me about your time as a personal trainer. Did you have to train lots of women?

A: Yes.

Question: And?

A: And what? Oh, I see, you want all the dirty details. Well you're not getting any. You'll just have to wait for the next book to come out. You can read all about it in there.

Question: Tell me about the next book. What are you working on now?

A: More short stories. I'm working on a novel called The Good Little Ceylonese Girl. It's pure fiction, obviously.

Question: When is it coming out?

A: Oh, towards the end of the year, I hope. I'm only halfway through, and I still have to do the illustrations.

"Well, good luck with all that, and I look forward to reading The Good Little Ceylonese Girl when it comes."

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