As I Like It
Latent talents in display
by K.S. Sivakumaran
One of the few well known journals of Creative Writing in English in this
country is "Channels". The latest issue to arrive is Volume 12, Number 02.
The issue is edited by Maleeha Rajon a Malay by birth. But she is a
graduate with English and a trained Thamil Trained Teacher. She has
taught in High Schools in the country. I happened to meet her first as an
English teacher at Althea International School in Dehiwela and was
amazed to find her knowledge of English and Thamil literature deep-
rooted. She speaks Thamil just like a Thamil woman would speak. Some
of her short stories in English, as found in one of her collections, are
realistic, well crafted and portrayed social issues fairly well.
Some of the creative writers that write in English are based in Colombo
and they all seem to be belonging to the "Wadiya Group" of writers. I have
not still made my way to this Group’s sessions of creative writing. Anthea
Senaratne who edited the previous issue of "Channels" is also associated
with this Group.
Let us see what Maleeha had done with her edition. As some of our
engaging readers would know, the journal is published by the English
Writers Cooperative of Sri Lanka. Two prominent women writers are in the
Editorial Board: Anne Ranasinghe, well known poet and Vijita Fernando,
equally well known writer and a good translator. But strangely, the Journal
does not give its address, and interested readers and writers do not know
to whom they should send their material or from whom a copy of the
journal could be bought.
There are Two Parts in the current Journal. Part One includes prize
winning Short Stories and Poetry. They were entries in the competition
held by the TEWC of SL. New names emerge as writers in English short
story writing: Hasini Apsara Haputhanthri, George Tillekeratne and
Samadara Chandani. The first named had also won an honourable
mention for her poetry. Among those who entered the poetry competition
was Shivanthi Balasuriya and Shahini Ruwanthi Gamage.
Part Two encompasses writing by 20 writers. Readers who would like to
know who the Sri Lankan writers in English are should make a note of
their names and read and evaluate them. They are:
Rose Aserappa, Jehan Aloysius, Tissa Abeysekera, Nihal de Silva (Nihal
gave me two of his books to be reviewed and yet I had not obliged him so
far. I hope to hasten my speed of reading, I promise), Carl Muller, J Sarath
Edirisinghe, Frances Bulathsinghala, Uthpala Gunethilake, Anthea
Senaratne, Sita Kulatunga, Lalitha Weerasinghe, Jagath Kumarasinghe,
Manel Ratnatunga, Shireen Senadhira, Parvathi Solomons
Arasanayagam, Ariel Cohen and Anne Ranasinghe.
Editor Maleeha Rajon announces that "Channels" is ever on the look out
for new talent, new writers to enrich Sri Lankan English Writing, and the
EWC now feels it timely to conduct workshops for writers, especially those
whose recent submissions show great merit".
I wished that the Editor gave us some notes on the contributors. I have
not heard of some of the writers in this journal. Nor have I read any of
their contributions before.
Although the prize winning short story writer gives some details about
Gujerat and her journey in India, what pervades is her appreciation, as
well as biases and prejudices, she had on her journey to India. She bases
her historical interpretation (it is assumed that she is an anthropologist)
on ‘myths’ treated as ‘factual history’.
Her seemingly profound observations on many matters give a kind of
‘exotica’ to a foreign reader. I found the story disorganized and her style
disconnected, despite her flourishes of measured usage of forced
vocabulary (at least in my comprehension). This was my feeling reading
this story, but at the same time, I must admit, I have limitations in
fashioning my taste to appreciate this kind of story. Further the judges of
the competition were certainly people of reputation. I must respect their
judgment.
‘The Mystery of the Mysterious Gem’, as the title says is a mystery laden
story that might fascinate teenagers and even readers who like ‘escapist’
stories. Since I am used to appreciating realistic and sociological and
psychological themes, such stories to me were less creative. Again this is
my personal view. Those who like this kind of stories would continue to
like it irrespective of the fact whether they could be called literature or not.
Creative imagination is what matters.
‘Out of The Darkness’ was also an ‘honourable mention’ short story. This
was readable but the construction of the story was not coherent and one
felt that the writer was thinking in Sinhala and writing in English.
I think the original writing in Sinhala must be of a higher standard. The
Thamil short stories in this country are certainly better than the short
stories written in English both in content and form. I say this because I
read the stories in both tongues.
The poems (honourable mention) by Shivanthi Balasuriya, Hasini Apsara
Haputhanthri and Shashini Ruwanthi Gamage are really appreciable. In
Part 2, there is a composition by Rose Asserappa that might be equated
with poetic sensibility. Jehan Aloysius had used some Thamil words in his
prose: one might say it is an imaginative piece.
The materials within the pages 27 to 76 are immensely readable.`A0 The
contributions by the already established writers are found in these pages.
Here are only a few selections chosen at random.
‘There’s a picture in my mind
A faded snapshot
The details are gone.
Only the fir trees remain,
Four standing in a row,
Bearded, long-haired, shaggy,
Like ancient priests.’
`A0(Tissa Abeysekera)
...These are exclamations of annoyance but no physical violence for this
is a holy place and the pilgrims are filed with thoughts of peace and
forbearance...
(Nihal de Silva)
‘I did not cross, but sat, looked at the unknown, not understanding my
fear. Nothing had happened. All that place wanted was to take me, making
me belong, Gather me to its heart, preserve my child innocence and I had
broken free, run away. I had feared the silence of its love.’
(Carl Muller)
‘This is not peace
But a tethered pigeon
Lovingly nurtured
For the political feast’
(Frances Bulathsinghala)
‘The gaze so intent
We hardly blink
For fear of losing
A single moment Of seeing’
(Anthea Senaratne)
‘Of defeat, the impossibility
Of a poetry of joy, the beautiful humanity
Of benedictions spoken in spite of himself.
In trance or dance, we
Healed, grew towards wholeness,
Dreamed...’
(Ashley Halpe’)
There are many more passages that I enjoyed reading in this issue of
‘Channels’ [Island]
