Sirilal Kodikara

Sirilal Kodikara is a novelist, poet, journalist, and radio play writer who writes in Sinhala. He was a Buddhist priest in the early part of his life.

Sirilal Kodikara
Born1924.08.27
Sri Lanka
Nationality Sri Lankan
Occupationnovelist, poet, journalist, and radio play writer
ChildrenDeepa Senevirathna, Amila Kodikara, Pasan Kodikara

Work

He started his journalistic career in 1948 writing for a weekly Sinhala newspaper, Sinhala Jathiya.[1] Later he worked under Editor-in-Chief D. B. Dhanapala at the newspaper Davasa, founded in 1961 by M. D. Gunasena. This period of journalism by Kodikara and his contemporaries has been described as “a golden era in the history of local media in Sri Lanka”.[2] Later Kodikara wrote for the newspapers Aththa, Heta, and Ravaya. He has authored many books on various subjects.[1]

Sirilal Kodikara is famous for his stint as a journalist of now defunct Aththa (Truth) newspaper. His daily column “Ranchagoda Lamaya”, in the form of a two-stanza poem, was heavily laced with biting criticism of whoever was in power[3] and was very popular during the 1970s and 80s.[1] In addition to his short stories, poems, and novels, he wrote “Mahawansa Vimansana” (non-fiction) exploring the myths of the Mahawamsa chronicle. His “Manasa Vila” was produced as an opera by Premasiri Khemadasa.[4]

He received a 2009 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Editors’ Guild of Sri Lanka and the Sri Lanka Press Institute.[1]

Books
  • Kiyami sihikara
  • Mahāvaṃśa vimaṃśana
  • Gahen văṭuṇu găhăniya saha tavat aya
  • Viśvaya tuḷa viśva
  • Ṭayar saya langa nam sthānaya : păbandum daha aṭakin yukta ya
  • Mānasa vila saha Kanēru mal
  • Diya vălak ossē
  • Baka vata
  • Kǎlisṭāgē savāriya
  • Kanēru mal : vesaṅganaka gē premaya varṇanaya kerena padya kāvyaya
  • Magē sākkiya

Notes
  1. "Five senior journalists to be honoured". Daily Mirror. 27 July 2010.
  2. Welabada, Lakmal (28 September 2008). "Arthur U. Amarasena talks of his life with veteran actress wife Sriyani Amarasen". Sunday Observer.
  3. Kala Korner by Dee Cee (7 March 1999). "'Api Okkoma' once again from a unique family of six writers". Sunday Times.
  4. Mahendra, Sunanda (27 October 2008). "Maestro Premasiri Khemadasa: Reminiscence of his real-life sonata". Daily News.
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