Going to pot
Once, there was a little pond where kingfishers
sat brooding on overhanging branches of trees. It was in a
plantation in the Gampaha district where we holidayed as children.
To go to this pond quite a distance away from the bungalow, was an
adventure in itself for us children because we met all the
characters from the stories we were told in the evenings.
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Encounters: Literature and varieties of history
So far, in these columns on literature and
varieties of history, I have sought to examine very broadly some of
the important currents of historical writing – currents that appear
to be both fascinating and thought-provoking. To be sure, my
selection is both idiosyncratic and suggestive; it is by no means
exhaustive.
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Cultural Scene: Sinhala literary culture
In my last week’s column, I have pointed out the
fact that Sinhala literary culture is as old as Sanskrit and Pali
literary cultures and has been greatly influenced by them. I
extensively cited Charles Hallisey’s article entitled ‘Works and
Persons in Sinhala Literary Culture’ to shed light on the early part
of Sinhala literary culture and its position among South Asian
literary cultures.
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