Sri Lankan poetess Evengeline P Wickramage’s compilation of English poetry, Above the ocean wide and deep and other books of the author were introduced in Brisbane recently at a function held at the community centre in Forest Lake, Brisbane. Sri Lankan honorary consulate Anton Swan was the chief guest at the event.
Evangeline, an arts graduate of the Peradeniya University who has work experience as a teacher, a program producer at SLBC, a translator, educational program presenter, and project officer at NIE explained how her life and work experiences inspired her to write poetry.
She also explained how she wrote three simple books for children, Api Elimahanata yamu, Api Kurullan Narambamu Api eta varga Pelakaramu. She mentioned what inspired her to translate Alex Haley’s book Roots as Mul in Sinhala .
Dr. Nimal Sedera who presented and reviewed the book did his task in poetry which attracted the audience and explained the verity and the diversity of the compilations in her book. Anton Swan emphasised the need to have more authors writing books in English taking our culture to the world.
Malalani Ranasinghe, the original actress of Prof Ediriweera Sarachchandra’s Sinhabahu entertained the audience with a song from Sinhabahu with her daughter, Dr Kanchanamala. The author’s eldest son Prof Rohan Jayasinghe made the vote of thanks while Anil Perera conducted the event.