State Literary Awards on Oct. 28 in Mahawa

The State Literary Awards ceremony 2011 will be held at Mahawa Vijayaba Madya Maha Vidyalaya, under the patronage of Prime Minister D.M. Jayaratna on Friday October 28 at 2.00 pm.

The Best Authors of Year 2010 will receive trophies and financial awards on the day, which will also mark the opening of newly constructed Simon Nawagaththegama Theatre at the Vijayaba MMV.

On invitation by Minister of Culture and the Arts T.B. Ekanayake, Prime Minister D.M. Jayaratna will participate as chief guest while Minister of Education Bandula Gunawardena will be the guest of honour.

Books published in all three languages, Sinhala, Tamil and English in the year 2010 and registered with the Department of Government Archives were evaluated in four stages.

[Sahithya Rathna Awards]

Annually three eminent writers from the three main languages who had contributed to the development of literature will be given awards in appreciation of their services. This year Prof. Siri Gunasinghe for Sinhala, Prof. Sabaratnam Jeyarasa for Tamil Literature and journalist Vijita Fernando for English will be honoured with lifetime awards, recognising their contribution to arts and literature.

[Cultural presentation ]

Creative dance items will be presented by the State Dance ensemble, choreographed by veteran artistes Ravibandu Vidyapathi and Kalasoori Vasugi Jegadeeswaran with her troupe. Prof. Kolitha Bhanu Dissanayayake of the University of Aesthetic and Visual arts will chant the “Sararaswathi Abinandana Sthotra.”