'It's a wonder how much a human mind can store'

by Sajitha Prematunge

sajitha@sundayobserver

It's funny how different people discover their talent. Whether it be painting, singing, dancing or writing, many prominent figures in their respective fields discover their talent late in life, especially the writers.

Shakespeare wrote his first play in his 40s if I am not wrong. But coming from a literary family, writing for Ransiri Menike has been a hobby. Sister of Tissa and Somasiri Devendra, Ransiri Menike, who is also a freelance writer and a children's story writer, says "I was brought up on books. We all inherited that talent of writing."

But she started taking writing seriously in her 40s. She embarked on more serious writing when she wrote a letter to a friend who was ill, about a holiday she spent in Ekiriya.

"I always loved writing letters. I still do. It was a release from the boredom of housework." Later on seeing the letter, Dr. Luxmy De Zoysa, had encouraged her to keep writing. Ransiri Menike then sent another short story to the Daily News and refers to it as 'a perfectly rotten bit of work' although it was selected for publication.

From then on her writing kicked off. "I use to send all my stories to Dr. Luxmy. I got advice from her on everything." Her short stories The Snake and Nigel, sent to Navasilu were received with open arms by Prof. D.C.R.A. Goonatilleke.

One of her short stories, Growing up, was accepted by Prof. Ashley Halpe for his anthology and another, The Snake, for Kaleidoscope again by Prof. D.C.R.A. Goonatilleke. One of her short stories Barbershop was selected the all island first by the English Association of Sri Lanka.

Although she started taking writing into serious consideration much later in life, it was clear that she always had the talent and creativity required. A hobby that started with the collection of her father's telegrams and writing little pieces based on them, she later developed into an award winning writer.

She won the State Literary Award this year for her short story Seeing Eye. "My father encouraged us to read a lot. We used to read anything, even the things usually considered as reserved for adults. There were no restrictions. Each of my brothers and sisters liked different things. My reading interests are varied and I don't have a favourite author."

In spite all her achievements in short story writing, she has written no novels to date. "I don't think I can handle a novel." She says, she's more talented at writing short stories and that she is planning to collect enough material to publish as one collection consisting of - 'all good and bad stories'.

After receiving the State Literary Award for Seeing Eye, she wrote A worms eye view. Explaining the inception of the title she says "I thought I was always considered as a worm, because I was the youngest in the family." Written in the perspective of a child, the subject matter deals with a child's experiences, sense of smell, touch, etc....

"I never think 'I must sit down and write'. But when I finally do get the inspiration, my brain and pen take over and I write night and day at a stretch. Then I cut it, edit it and re-edit it before the final copy is produced."

She claims that she prefers to write whenever she gets the inspiration and that she doesn't have a certain style. Style, for her, depends on each subject she chooses to handle and that, at times just a word can inspire her.

Because most of her works incorporate the word 'Eye', she explains that most people misinterprets them as personal experiences. "But I write using different personas, as 'she' 'he' as well as 'I'. I also store up a lot of memories. I listen a lot.

I love nature, I like listening to squirrels and birds. I am also a good observer, on the quiet side - although I am not so quiet when I am with my family. She admits laughing. It is a wonder how much a human mind can store.

We collect material from situations around us and I incorporate them into my stories. I only realized it when I started to write something." As I was told by many other writers before her, she says that every writer has to be a good observer. "You can detect whether a certain writer is speaking out of genuine experiences or whether he or she is trying to fake it.

You cannot describe village life unless you have experienced it first-hand." With a wistful look on her face she describes, when her family, once lived at a walawwa in Ratnapura and how she and her brother used to run barefoot all over the estate.

"My mother learnt a lot from the village women and they learnt a lot from my mother. They appreciated people for who they were, not for their educational qualifications."

Ransiri Menike, coming from a mixed parentage said that her father preached Dhamma at home. Now she follows in his footsteps in aspiring to become a person devoid of yearning.

She says that she has learned to live with the minimum of luxuries. "Nobody knew that my mother was a Burgher. She blended and got along with the rest of the family quite well."

Speaking from the heart about the legacy of a mixed parentage, she says, "No religion teaches bad. No matter what religion you are, you must learn to have compassion, accept things as they are and face life's challenges."

A snake in the garden: My mother's instinct would have been to kill it on the spot. But I would never let her have her way if I could help it - a universal dilemma. This is the type of subject matter Ransiri Menike De Silva deals with, in her short stories such as The Snake, although she claims that she does not pick and choose her material.

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