The recently concluded 2024 State Literary Festival, held at Temple Trees, stood as a resplendent testament to our literary and cultural vibrancy. With origins tracing back to 1957, this annual celebration is orchestrated by the Department of Cultural Affairs.
Kumuduni Haputhanthri receives the Award for publishing the highest number of award-winning books on behalf of Sarasavi Bookshop
The State Literary Festival is a platform to acknowledge excellence in Sinhala, Tamil, and English literature. The festival has continued to laud the written word in its capacity to promote understanding, empathy, and hence social progress. The event brings together wordsmiths to celebrate the power of literature. The awardees receive a trophy, a certificate, and a cash prize. The nominees are presented with a certificate complemented by a cash prize—a practice initiated at last year’s festival.
Emphasising the role of literature in rebuilding society. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, in his message to the festival, noted how literature has historically served as a purpose of hope during global crises:
“History has shown that even in the greatest global crises, creative literature has reignited hope, inspiring people to pursue life with renewed purpose. As we navigate the path of national recovery and social reconstruction, the role of literature and its creators is pivotal in shaping our collective future.
Professor Jinadasa Danansuriya receives the Sahitya Ratna Award for Sinhala category (Pictures by Dushmantha Mayadunne)
We are facing a society full of distress—a society that ignores others. We must create a human habitation that can bear ethnic diversity and appreciates the beauty of diversity regardless of caste and religion.
Doesn’t the declined appreciation of art meet us again in society as violence? The various characters, behaviours, imaginations, and cultural contacts found in a work of literature expand our imagination. A century’s worth of life experience can be gained through the study of literature.”
Prime Minister Dr Harini Amarasuriya delivered a message about the arts’ declining status in society due to decades of underfunding. She calls for a paradigm shift to advance cultural engagement from an early age:
“A society distant from literature, music, and art is in front of us because of the low funds allocated to cultural life by those who led the country. This must first be accurately identified, weighed, and prioritised. An emotional citizen who emerges as a part of the education system of the country should be created.
Annalakshmi Rajadurai receives the Sahitya Ratna Award for Tamil category
It should be systematically developed from early childhood. Only half of our tree of life is completed by technology, science, or an industrial approach.
Its other part represents aesthetically oriented thoughts, a heart filled with human dignity. This is generated by literature.
We are facing a society full of distress—a society that ignores others. We must create a human habitation that can bear ethnic diversity and appreciates the beauty of diversity regardless of caste and religion. Doesn’t the declined appreciation of art meet us again in society as violence?
The various characters, behaviour, imaginations, and cultural contacts found in a work of literature expand our imagination. A century’s worth of life experience can be gained through the study of literature.”
Cultural Affairs Minister Dr. Hiniduma Sunil Senevi elaborated on literature’s role in advancing empathy and reducing societal conflict:
Vihanga Perera receives the award for the Best Original Novel in English
“The State Literary Festival means to offer the gratitude of the state to the literati of the country. If they did not have this incredible imagination potential, any group that is in power at this moment has to accept a weak community.
We should have the ability to understand and share another person’s feelings. Unhappiness, violence, and conflict are inevitable in a society of unsympathetic people The progress achieved by art in a country is not the same as the progress measured in number or indicators measured by ‘development projects’ Any country is immeasurably indebted to literature.”
Sahitya Rathna Award
A highlight of the festival is the presentation of the Sahitya Rathna Awards, which honour lifetime contributions to literature. This year’s laureates—Prof. Jinadasa Danansuriya, Annalakshmi Rajadurai, and Professor Emeritus Senath Walter Perera—do proclaim the noble power of literary pursuits, transcending the bounds of Sinhala, Tamil, and English tongues.
Born in 1945 in Dambadeniya, Prof. Danansuriya has had a remarkable career as a scholar, critic, and translator in Sinhala literature. A graduate of the University of Vidyalankara, he served in academia for over four decades, contributing significantly to literary criticism and translation studies.
Prof. Walter Perera receives the Sahitya Ratna Award for English category
Among his notable works are Sahithya Vesmuhunu (1978), Vichaara Satahan (1995), and Kalaathmaka Parikalpanaya (2005). His translations, including Hirakaruva Bahdakkemu (1974) and Ithala Janakantha (2009), have introduced Sri Lankan readers to global literary traditions.
Recognised with numerous accolades, including the Pranaama Award (1996) and Kalabooshaana State Award (2021), Prof. Danansuriya continues to contribute to the field of children’s literature.
Annalakshmi Rajadurai, born in 1939 in Jaffna, made history as the first woman to receive the Sahitya Rathna Award. A literary icon in Tamil literature, she has blended journalism, poetry, and fiction throughout her career. Her editorial roles in Jhothi and Mithran revolutionised Tamil media, while her works, including Vilichudar (1970) and Neruppu Velichcham (1984), explore themes of unity and resilience.
Ethnic harmony
Her contributions to ethnic harmony are notable in her translations under the title Uru Thai Makkal, which aim to bridge communal divides. She has won awards such as the Tamil Nithi Award (2023) and the Sri Lanka-London Tamil Literary Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award (2019).
Prof. Emeritus Senath Walter Pereradedicated over 40 years to teaching and promoting postcolonial and Sri Lankan writing. His tenure at the University of Peradeniya saw the creation of ground breaking courses that introduced students to the richness of local English literature.
In addition to his academic work, Professor Perera’s contributions to literary journals such as Phoenix and The Journal of Commonwealth Literature have brought international attention to Sri Lankan writers. His mentorship roles with The Gratiaen Trust and involvement with the Commonwealth Writers Prize highlight his commitment to promoting local voices on a global stage.
The festival celebrates contemporary authors, translators, and critics across 25 categories. Key awardees in English medium include Vihanga Perera (Best Original Novel: Students and Rebels), Sajida Fazal (Best Original Children’s Literature: Collin and the Caterpillar), A.A. Moses (Best Original Youth Literature: Anya: The Spirit of Yala), Shirani Rajapaksha (Best Original Short Story Collection: Offerings to the Blue God) and Gayathri M. Hewagama (Best Original Poetry Collection: Amber Lights). Other notable winners included The Petition by Leel Gunasekara for Best Translated Novel and Beyond Check-Points by Duleep De Chickera for Original Text on Varied Subjects.
The Daily News Associate Features Editor Sachitra Mahendra has been nominated for the Best Translated Novel award at the State Literary Awards 2024 for his English translation of Dr. Palitha Ganewatta’s Sinhala novel ‘Mawatha Abiyasa’, titled ‘Road Ahead’.
The festival’s credibility rests on its rigorous evaluation process. Books published between January 1 and December 31 of the previous year are collected and registered with the Department of National Archives. Categories span 25 subject areas, covering original and translated works in prose, poetry, drama, children’s literature, and academic texts.
Each submission undergoes an assessment by a panel of experts.
