Sandadas Coperahewa (born 1923) is a
Sinhala writer, poet, scholar, art critic, teacher and journalist in
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 ...
.
Coperhewa was born in Pamburana and educated at Pamburana Sariyuth College. He attended
St. Thomas' College, Matara
St. Thomas' College is a government primary and secondary school for boys in Matara, Sri Lanka. The college was initially founded in 1844 as a private Anglican school by Rev. Fr. N. J. Ondatjee. a missionary of the Christian Missionary Society ...
from the age of 9.
He was recruited by Warden
R.S.de Saram and taught Sinhala, Art and Buddhism for thirty two years (1951 -1983) at
S. Thomas' College, Mt Lavinia
, motto_translation = Be Thou Forever
, song = Thomian Song
, athletics = Yes
, sports = Yes
, nickname = Thora
, denomination = Anglican
, patron ...
alongside
Arisen Ahubudu
Kalasuri Arisen Ahubudu ( Sinhala: අරිසෙන් අහුබුදු; 18 March 1920 – 26 May 2011) was a Sri Lankan writer, orator, scholar, playwright, teacher (Guru), Sinhala lyricist, author and poet. He is a member of the Hela Ha ...
, GL Jinadasa and
D.S. Jayasekera.
He contributed poems to Subasa - journal started by Munidasa Cumaratunga in 1941 and became an active member of the Hela Havula organization. He was deputy leader of the
Hela Havula
The Hela Havula is a Sinhalese literary organisation founded by Kumaratunga Munidasa in January 1941. 'Hela Hawula' was formed as the only organization in Sri Lanka to protect and uplift the Sinhala language, Sinhala land and Sinhala culture. 'He ...
, an editor of the Pali Dictionary published by "Siri Vajiranana Bhikku Center Maharagama" and Editorial Consultant of Little Star Children’s weekly and Lankadeepa. He wrote columns on issues of Art, Buddhism, Sinhala Language and Literature in the English broadsheets,
and translated Prof R.H.Wilenskis Miniature History of European Art to Sinhala ( Uropa Kala Itihasaya ha Uropa kala Hela Kala Sasandua Colombo: M.D. Gunasena, 1958). He also wrote a commentary to Sinhala poem Daham Gaeta Mala Vivaranaya.
Honours
The "
Hela Havula
The Hela Havula is a Sinhalese literary organisation founded by Kumaratunga Munidasa in January 1941. 'Hela Hawula' was formed as the only organization in Sri Lanka to protect and uplift the Sinhala language, Sinhala land and Sinhala culture. 'He ...
Movement" awarded him the title "Hela Bas Mini" 1993 in recognition of his services to Sinhala Language and the Department of Cultural Affairs awarded him the title the "Kala-Bhushana" in 2003 and "Divaman Pranama" by Godage Literary Festival in 2015 in recognition of his services to Art, Literature and Sinhala language.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Coperahewa, Sandadas
Hela Havula
Sinhalese writers
Sri Lankan poets
Sinhala-language poets
Sri Lankan novelists
Sinhalese academics
Sri Lankan lyricists
20th-century Sri Lankan historians
Alumni of St. Thomas' College, Matara
1923 births
Living people
People associated with S. Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia
People from Matara, Sri Lanka