New arrivals

Sarpayaku Ha Satan Veda

K.K. Saman Kumara's latest collection of Sinhala short stories Sarpayaku Ha Satan Veda was launched recently as a Sayura publication.

Walking with Dinosaurs

Lakshman Umagiliya's English novel Walking with Dinosaurs was launched recently as a Pen Press publication, the United Kingdom.

The story of ill-fated 'L' is a hilarious balancing act between the antics of his extraordinary and extensive family - 'the clan' - and the difficulties he faces as the product of a recently colonised homeland.

Things go from bad to worse as he arrives in England to a hefty dose of culture shock and prejudice, residing in appalling conditions with only his eccentric cousin for advice and company.

The situations he finds himself in, everything from working as a professional matchmaker to posing as a priest, end in the inevitable disaster and hilarity, which seem to surround this unfortunate protagonist wherever he goes.

Walking with Dinosaurs is unique in its ability to combine a constant wry wit with what is at its core a serious subject matter.

The droll writer's voice of the novel is never at the expense of the significance of the effects of colonisation and racism and the message is combined effortlessly with an entertaining and compelling plot. Walking with Dinosaurs is an unputdownable novel.

-RS