Characters manifest the author

Codifying socio- political reality in fiction:

By Ranga Chandrarathne

[email protected]

“I did not fall sleep but just went to bed. Bimsa switched off the light. Girija laughs through the pitch darkness. How Girija could embrace my life so hard? Girija who crawled between my hands and heart still remains. I do not to sit on the bed though I wanted to do so. A watcher looks on me. I open my eyes in the darkness” - page 43 of “Dula Dulaya”, the latest novel by Sumithra Rahubaddhe.

Through a story of a romance, Sumithra reads not only politics but also the subtle nuances of human behaviour as a psychoanalyst does. Here she has deviated from the structure as well as from prototype narration.

She also takes liberty to use a gamut of images and symbolism which hitherto is not found in Sinhalese novel. Her novels are number one best sellers including the Itipahan which was made into a tele-drama Sumithra Rahubaddhe is a senior Administrative Service official who is currently serving as an Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Justice. She read her Ph. D. in Cinema and Television Studies at the Auckland University in New Zealand.

Q: Looking at your work on diverse subjects, one may come to the conclusion that you have covered a wide range of issues. What are your views on contemporary Sinhala novel and writers?

A: I entered into the field of literature with ‘Bumuthurunu”. I had a background of wide reading at home and at the University. In the University of Colombo, I had a seat at the library and I read almost all books that I came across.

My first job was at the Russian Embassy where I had to translate Russian literature into Sinhala and they also encouraged me to read American literature. ‘Bumuthurunu’ is a novel about a generation of youth in transition, like us, who have been caught up in a wave of commercialisation.

Gradually I change my subjects very often based on my personal experience in the environment where I work, study and observe. Though most of my novels have been bestsellers there is a one which is not that popular. It is ‘Loba Nosindeya’.

The novel highlights the tragedy or triumph of generation of elite who dominated the political, economic, professional and dramatic spheres of life. They clung on to their positions one way or other. The narration is done through a woman who narrates the changes that took place from 1960s.

In my latest novel I have significantly changed the structure as well as the theme of the novel. Eva Ranaweera and Simon Navagathegama though not contemporaries, were novelists with insight. Eva’s “Laiza” is a remarkable work especially given Eva’s social and educational background. She was educated in English and her use of language is also unique.

“Sedona” by Eva Ranaweera is a brilliant work which really cannot be translated into English though Edmond Jayasuriya did actually translate it into English. Simon Nawagathegama’s “Dadayakkarayekuge Kathawa”, Prof. Ediriweera Sarachchandra’s “Vilasaniyakage Premaya” and “Malaunge Avurududa” remind us of finer craft of highly evolved poetic language which unfortunately contemporary Sinhala novelist master. K. Jayatilaka’s “Charitha Thunak”, A.V. Suraweera’s “Heyyanmaruwa” dominated the scene.

Looking at contemporary Sinhala novelists, one can come to the conclusion that they are trying to explore diverse vistas. I do not think there is a crisis in the Sinhala novel. However, publishers print books indiscriminately without considering the merit of the work or the knowledge and experiences of writers.

Most of Sri Lankan critics appreciate or depreciate a book on basis of their friendship rather than merit of the work. This is not happening in other countries. For instance in New Zealand, there is Jenny’s Critique displayed at book shops and the criticisms are objective.

Q: Is the Sinhala novel facing a crisis both in the use of language and metaphor and in selecting the subject matter for them?

A: This is applicable to serious novelists. It was after 1970s, for the first time, writers became politicized and some of the writers became propagandists and another trend is revolutionary writing which deprived writers of their creativity.

Except very few novelists who were not caught up in the trend and destroyed themselves as novelists. Kulasena Fonseka, Somaweera Senanayake are fallen into the category of survivors.

The refined and disciplined language has declined as those groups of writers did not really bother about the language they used as they engaged in a propaganda exercise. Only few books remain including “Heta Echchara Kaluwara Na” by Prof. Sarachchandra.

The socio-cultural changes that took place in 1970s, 1980s and 1990s affects Sinhala novel and a group of writers emerged who identified themselves as post modernist writers. With the advancements in the publishing industry, a group of writers emerged whose primary qualification is that they were born Sinhalese and who write for the market. This group of writers does not bother about the language. The crisis is caused by the later group of writers and it does not really affect the serious writer.

Q: It seems that the Sinhala novelist have failed to grasp the ground realities of the harsh human landscape which is shattered by a protracted conflict and thematically bankrupt in their works?

A: There are group writers who are willing to call themselves post modernist writers irrespective of the subject. What I believe is that when some one tries to insert a story into a pre-fabricated structure, it would not be a natural creative writing. The theme should be allowed to take its own course. I accept there is a problem and the university should be responsible for this situation. The university’s role in promoting literature is unsatisfactory.

Q: As a novelist and literatus, what are your views on the declining standard of Sinhala in general and the Sinhala used in media in particular?

A: In media, Sinhala language is being used without paying any attention to the grammar and gender. I believe that language should be changed by persons armed with a deep knowledge of that language.

Print media is brazenly killing Sinhala and this can be found in any Sinhalese newspapers. Unlike in 1960’s now children could not look for newspapers to learn and improve their language skills especially in the Sinhalese print media.

In electronic media, they used a mixed language which is neither Sinhalese nor English. It is apparent those who conduct these types of programmes are ignorant of both languages. This shows their gross ignorance. I faced some embarrassing situations where I had not only to give the titles of the books I wrote to the interviewer but also the questions that were to be asked of me at the interview.

There are only very few media personnel who know their language. This is caused by politicising the society. Technology and scientific advancements, from the internet to mobile phones and all the other new arrivals showered on us, contributes to make our work easy but we should keep in mind the fact that we must tackle them carefully and not to use slang when dealing with media.

Q: What do you think of the future course of the Sinhala novel and role of the novel in a changing society which is increasingly becoming techno-centric?

A: Though electronic media developed, there still exists a space for print media. Though there is internet, we could not see the award winning novelist Paulo Coelho’s or other writings such as those of Kiran Desai, Isabelle Illende etc .

You cannot find the same depth in a printed matter, in internet or in a novel. It is the written word that is his etched in the minds of the reader. Paulo Coelho became a novelist against parent’s wishes. His parents wanted him to become a lawyer.

Paulo Coelho set up a foundation to propagate Brazilian Literature, to help poor children and to give a helping hand to writers any where in the world.

Five objectives:

* Help abundant children in Brazil

* Translation in to other languages of classic Brazilian authors.

* Help poor and needy elderly people

* Study of Brazil’s pre history

* Very personal.

He has become a millionaire who allocates 400,000 of dollars annually for the foundation. So he must be a so rich otherwise it is not possible for him to make a donation. It shows above all, that people read books not only by Paulo Coelho but also by other authors. Whatever the technological changes, it is obvious that literature, novel, short story and print media will remain.

Q: How do you perceive contemporary Sri Lankan writings in English?

A: I first encountered Sri Lankan writings in English on bookshelves at Canberra hospital in Australia where I stayed with my husband who was warded there. It was a book by Rosemary Rodger and on the back cover was a brief description of the author which described her as a Sri Lankan writer. Most of Sri Lankan writer’s in English who were domiciled in foreign soil, wrote about their distant memory of Sri Lanka.

For instance short stories in Kolpetty People are very readable because of its language. However, these stories are revolving around a certain class. If Eva Ranaweera would have written books in English, those books would stand the test of time because she knows the language and is rooted in the native soil.

Punyakante Wijenaike is a writer I like among Sri Lankan writers in English. She has to a certain extent understood Sri Lankan roots. Her style of writing is very absorbing. However, there are instances where she has also not understood village ethos.

However, we should appreciate these works because we do not write in English. Nihal de Silva is a person who understood the heart beat of the people. He was one of the writers who understood the Sri Lankan roots. ‘Ginirella Conspiracy ‘is a fine example of his understanding of people of Sri Lanka. My view on Sri Lankan writings in English is that most of the Sri Lankan writings are bereft of roots.

Q: Are they not suffering from the same thematic bankruptcy as Sinhala novel?

A: Compared with Sinhala novels, Sri Lankan writings in English are bankrupt. The fact does not come to light because they write in English and Sinhalese novels do not get the same exposure because they are written in Sinhala.

Sinhala novel has roots and many other features compared with Sri Lankan writings in English. I personally do not like this question.

Q: Are you working on a novel at the moment?

A: Yes, I am putting the final touches to a novel though I have not put pen to it. I have already translated Paulo Coelho’s ‘Confessions of a Pilgrim’ by Juan Arias into Sinhala and hopefully it will come in print soon. It contains a lengthy interview with Paulo Coelho by Juan.

Q: Is there a secret behind your extremely absorbing works and their lively characters which etch in the minds of the readers?

A: To be a writer, you need a little fantasy, a little transgression, you need to break the rules of conventional wisdom. I always imagine my characters, environment and locations when I start to think about a new work.

In reality I am all the characters in my books.

I do not believe there is a secret behind it. When you look at books I authored, I did not write many books. Within a space of thirty years, I wrote ten books; I wrote my first novel “Bumuthurunu” in 1978. I commenced writing the novel in 1975. Some times I write very little. Perhaps the secret behind my lively characters is that they made in me and I virtually assume their roles.

For instance, I began to live in the characters of Amritha and Girija Saumyasundara when I wrote that novel and go through their emotions. For these exercise I need time. When I wrote “ Keli Madala”, I lived in the character of Ranjini.

Those days I worked in the Ministry of Co-operative Development and I began to hate the then Minister equating him with the Minister who destroyed Ranjini (But the then minister of corporative development was a very decent type of gentleman who belonged to a good category of politicians.) This is the secret behind the liveliness of characters.

Q: Can you think of a way out to the present predicament in Sinhala novel in general and Sri Lankan literature in particular?

A: I do not see an easy way out for this.

Q: What are the changes that you would envisage that should be brought in to the field of the book publishing industry in Sri Lanka?

A: I think that the publishing industry has not taken enough measures to bring the development they achieved to the literary field. Selection of books should be made more rationally and carefully giving priority to high quality writings.

However, this has not been happening in Sri Lanka. There should be an agent and that agent should provide a summary of the books at disposal, and books should go though a board of editors.