Saman Tilakasiri was a poet, writer and a journalist, and his only daughter, Dulani Tilakasiri is on a mission to bring his legacy to life, one filled with many creative works ranging from story books to poetry and songs.
Born on August 11, 1928, Saman Tilakasiri had a creative streak within him from a young age. He started composing poems at age 12 and loved to write which made him a regular contributor to the magazine put out by his school in the Kegalle District. Once he finished his schooling in 1952, he joined the “Lankadeepa” newspaper as a translator, and was subsequently promoted to sub-editor and ultimately becoming its features editor up until his retirement after 33 years of service.
The journalistic acumen of Saman Tilakasiri was complemented by his love for all things literary to which he poured his heart and soul throughout the many years of his life. He engaged with many eminent scholars, artists and journalists such as D. B. Dhanapala, Arisen Ahubudu and Nanda Malani and has received multiple awards from Prime Ministers, Presidents and Governors.
His children, particularly his daughter, Dulani Tilakasiri is of the same vein and carries the creative spark ignited by her father. She herself is an accomplished children’s author, short story writer and a poet. Perhaps it is this kindred spirit that she shared with her father that has prompted Dulani, who resides in Austria, to take up her departed father’s cause. The Sunday Observer met Dulani to know more about her father, his work and the cause she is espoused in with a passion.
So, what kind of a man was Saman Tilakasiri? He was more than talented, he was gifted says Dulani, who is without a doubt taken up with her father’ creativity. He was also a fun-loving father and had a quiet sense of humour, almost satirical. He was also a family man, and a romantic at heart, writing poetry to my mother from the time they met and devoted himself into taking care of his family. He was also a man of modesty, which is a reason why his work is so underrated. He didn’t believe in blowing his own trumpet, and most importantly, he was a kind human being.
A man of many talents
Saman Tilakasiri and daughter Dulani receive an award from President R. Premadasa
“He was multifaceted,” said Dulani, and this is one aspect which has surprised her over and over again. I thought he only knew children’s poems, but later, I discovered he had been writing very politically sensitive and socially conscious articles, since he was 12 years old. He was also an art reviewer, art critic and composed beautiful lyrical poetry for adults. He was interested in teaching correct Sinhala for the younger generation and has written many Sinhala grammar books. His passion lay in imparting a sound knowledge of Sinhala to children.
Saman Tilakasiri had the talent to explain or talk about everything in a simple way so that children would love to hear them. He did his A-levels in the English medium, following which he got a teaching assignment in Kegalle, but he left it and joined the Lankadeepa during the time of eminent journalist D.B. Dhanapala. He became its Features Editor and later on became the editor of Rasavahini, a magazine dedicated to arts and culture. Afterwards he worked at the library services until he was too weak to work.
His legacy is in his work, and in the books he left behind in multifarious fields. His diversity was one of the most captivating aspects about him. His passion for journalism was something he wished to share with all those around him; he published a book called Puwat path kalawa (art of journalism) which is a text book of sorts for those in the field. Within its pages, he included segments on what it is like to be a journalist, how journalism was done and the role of editors. The book was an assignment to him by the Newspaper Journalists’ Association.
They had selected Saman Tilakasiri as the right person to take on this role of imparting knowledge of journalism to the public.
He excelled in writing stories and poems for children; his poetry book ‘pasel lama gee’ was adjudged the best children’s book in 1969, and he was the first to receive this award. He won awards for his poetry book in Mal Onchilla in 1981 at the International Children’s Day Competition in 1979. His other works include Punchi Suranganavi in 1972, Nawa Hela Gee in 1976, Makara Baba in 1984, Peni rupaya in 1986, and Senkadagala dong kutu kutu in 1987.
His love for writing for children included translating Chinese-English books into Sinhala; he did this to expose children to foreign literature. He even wrote in English.
Daughter on a mission
For Dulani, his father was one of the most talented people she knew and like many other great artists of his age, he wants his work to gain the due recognition it deserves. She is a daughter on a mission, a mission to tell everyone about her father and his literary legacy. She believes the Sinhala of that generation was by far superior to what it is now.
The work of her father and many other poets like him should not be left to die a gradual death. “They need to be resurfaced so that we can appreciate the richness of the Sinhala language. These works need to be republished and spread across digital platforms, Dulani says. That is the only way to help preserve these works of art for future generations.
Saman Tilakasiri’s poetry has a special place in his daughter’s heart. He could capture the beauty in the most mundane aspects, which requires a special talent. He had a childlike mind and could bring to life the essence of the simplest things like the beauty of a butterfly or the singing of the birds disturbing a sleeping little brother; poetry emerges in an evocative yet simple language, which touches on the heart strings of anyone who reads it. Dulani feels his poetry needs to be appreciated and restored for future audiences.
His expertise on the language is richly interpreted in the several grammar books he wrote. His grammar books are exceptional and well detailed; I would very much like to gain more readerships for this book says Dulani.
They would be useful for expatriates and their children living abroad. For a daughter dedicated to preserving his father’s work, she still gets to hear some works of his which were hidden from view, from time to time. “Just a few days ago, my brother living in Australia told me that my father wrote a political satire column during the 1950’s and the 1960’s detailing parliamentary discussions. This was an aspect unknown to me, she said.
What do you think people can learn from his work? What can they teach them? “See the beauty in little things in life and always be positive. He could see the beauty everywhere and appreciate it with such intensity. He also taught me to look at everything through an analytical eye, but not to lose focus on the beauty inherent in all things”.
What does she hope people will remember of her father? “Love for the person he was and love for the country and the pride he had for his motherland. Secondly, remember him with respect for all the treasures he brought into being with his creations”. “Most of all I want people to be aware of his work and give him the recognition he deserves”.
She hopes to digitalise these works for future generations. Given the plethora of work he left behind getting his work reprinted and branded will no doubt be a tough task. This is her mission.
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