Although she is renowned for enrapturing audiences both young and old with her words, it was after hearing the voices of her audience that I figured out how words can be of immeasurable value and how they can reach out and touch someone, so that the person can relive the moment created with words over and over again throughout his/her lifetime.
This is September, the literary month, the month of bibliophiles. Thilini N. Liyanaarachchi’s ‘, Unrequited Love has been counting the days for several months to embrace its enthusiasts.
After enduring many tight spots, Unrequited Love landed on the palms of its fans on September 5, 2020 during the perfect time of the year, at the Mahaweli Centre, Colombo.
If you’re a good cybernaut, soon after you read Thilini’ name, you will find your thoughts slowly escaping into one or some of your favourites among her poetry.
Born in Colombo, yet brought up in a beautiful pastoral village in Makandura, Matara, Thilini has acquired much of the elements for her creativity through the heartstrings of her family who constantly stuck around her, aided and encouraged her.
At some point, on a thankful note she says with a beam on her face, “I was blessed to grow up in the bosom of my family and nature as well”.
Even the dedication of her book reads, ‘…everything started in that home, amidst the mountains…’.
Titled Unwritten Poem, her Facebook page has won more than 100, 000 hearts thus far.
It’s all about how she lets herself burst out freely, make witchcraft out of her words and captivate thousands of admirers.
Kaushalya Madhawa Pathirana, a true admirer of Thilini’s poetry says, “ I love her poem ‘…’Because it depicts the perfect view a man has of a woman which I have felt personally.
I don’t know how she puts herself in the shoes of a man and sees a woman from that perspective”.
Being on the same wavelength as one from the opposite sex, she creates a perfect blend of romance while maintaining a flow that provokes a lot of visual imagery till the end of the poem. What she imagines is a celebration of love, that a man celebrates his love, his woman just for the way she (the girlfriend) makes him feel.
“Though I had no lovers when I was at school, many of the last pages of my books had love poems written on them, and many of my friends quoted my love poems in their love letters” said Thilini.
Most of her fanatics have got to know her from her poem, Unrequited Love that has been capable of bringing life to thousands of one-sided love stories.
Recalling the first instance that could make her teary-eyed, Vishaaradha Abhisheka Wimalaweera read out an extremely emotional poem by Thilini written to appreciate paternal love on the death of her (Abhisheka’s) father. Abhisheka was grateful to Thilini for her creativity and for their friendship.
On behalf of the Women In Translation Month celebration, the Pen America Translation Committee had organised a virtual bilingual reading and some of Thilini’s poems were among the collection to be read.