Gunadasa Amarasekera (born 1929) is a prominent
Sinhala writer, poet, and essayist from
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
.
Early life and education
Gunadasa Amarasekera was born in Yattalamatta in
Galle District
Galle ( si, ගාල්ල දිස්ත්රික්කය ''gālla distrikkaya''; ta, காலி மாவட்டம் ''Kāli māvattam'') is a district in Southern Province, Sri Lanka. It is one of 25 districts of Sri Lanka, th ...
. He was educated at
Mahinda College, Galle and
Nalanda College Colombo
''Āpadāna Sobhinī Panñā''
, motto_translation = Character Illumines Wisdom
, established =
, founder = Patrick de Silva Kularatne
, type = National
, grades = 1 ...
.
In the early fifties, his short story Soma was selected to represent Ceylon in a world short story competition organized by the New York Herald Tribune. It was published in the collection of World Prize Stories in 1952.
Dr Amarasekara was presented with
Nalanda Keerthi Sri award in 2010 by his alma mater
Nalanda College, Colombo
''Āpadāna Sobhinī Panñā''
, motto_translation = Character Illumines Wisdom
, established =
, founder = Patrick de Silva Kularatne
, type = National
, grades = ...
.
Amarasekera is a graduate of
University of Ceylon
The University of Ceylon was the only university in Sri Lanka (earlier Ceylon) from 1942 until 1972. It had several constituent campuses at various locations around Sri Lanka. The University of Ceylon Act No. 1 of 1972, replaced it with the Univer ...
and is a
Dental Surgeon by profession.
He is one of the founding fathers of the Peradeniya school of literary tradition of modern
Sri Lankan literature
Sri Lankan literature is the literary tradition of Sri Lanka. The largest part of Sri Lankan literature was written in the Sinhala language, but there is a considerable number of works in other languages used in Sri Lanka over the millennia (inc ...
.
Publications
A list of literary works of Amarasekara,
Novels
*''Karumakkarayo'' (1953)
*''Yali Upannemi'' (1960)
*''Gandhabba Apadanaya'' (1969)
*''Asathya Kathawak'' (1981)
*''Premaye Sathya Kathawa'' (1983)
*''Gamanaka Mula'' (1988)
*''Gamdoren Eliyata'' (1990)
*''Vanka Giriyaka'' (1992)
*''Inimaga Ehalata'' (1992)
*''Yali Maga Wetha'' (1993)
*''Duru Rataka Dukata Kiriyaka'' (1999)
Short stories
*''Rathu Rosa Mala'' (1950)
*''Jeevana Suwanda'' (1957)
*''Ekama Kathawa'' (1972)
*''Katha Pahak'' (1975)
*''Gal Pilimaya Saha Bol Pilimaya'' (1989)
*''Marana Manchakaye Dutu Sihinaya'' (1993)
Poems
*''Bhaavageeta''(1952)
*''Uyanaka Hinda Litu Kavi'' (1957)
*''Amal Bisso'' (1958)
*''Gurulu Watha'' (1972)
*''Avarjana'' (1972)
*''Asak Da Kava'' (2003)
Plays
*''Pavuru Padanam'' (1970)
*''Kavhandayaka Kathandaraya'' (1991)
Literary criticism
*Vicharaya Saha Vinodaya (1951)
*Aliya Saha Andayo (1966)
*Abuddassa Yugayak (1976)
*''Anagarika Dharmapala Marxvaadida?'' (1980)
*''Ganaduru Madiyama Dakinemi Arunalu'' (1988)
*''Arunaluseren Arunodhyata'' (1991)
*''Jathika Chinthanaya saha Jaathika Aarthikaya'' (1993)
*''Sinhala Kawya Sampradaya'' (1996)
References
External links
Gunadasa Amarasekara Library of Congress New Delhi Office.
an article by Malinda Seneviratne
*
Gunadasa Amarasekara and contemporary Sinhalese literature
{{DEFAULTSORT:Amarasekara, Gunadasa
1929 births
Living people
Sri Lankan dentists
Sri Lankan novelists
Sri Lankan poets
People from Southern Province, Sri Lanka
Alumni of the University of Ceylon (Peradeniya)
Sri Lankan Buddhists
Alumni of Nalanda College, Colombo
Alumni of Mahinda College
Sri Lankan male writers
Male poets
Male novelists
20th-century poets
20th-century novelists
21st-century poets
21st-century novelists
20th-century male writers
21st-century male writers