Using her father, Vijaya Corea’s office room stationery and her mother’s envelopes, Sashika Corea at the age of eight, posted her poem, “My Brother” to a poetry contest in the newspapers, which was later published as the winning entry and won her Rs. 250.
The news came in as a congratulatory telephone call from a family friend and it pleasantly surprised her family members.
Sashika loved her elder brother and was very close to him, thus her first composition was all about him. “Unknown to anyone, on seeing the newspaper notice asking for submissions, I sent mine in,” she said.
Today, Sashika holds in her hand, her second book, ‘Life Away From the Stage and Microphone’ published by The Jam Fruit Tree Publications, a biographical book that talks about her father’s life and the medical miracle associated with him in 1984 that defied all scientific odds. Her first book was 30 Selected Poems published in 2023.
Sashika is an alumnus of Ladies’ College, Colombo, and her favourite subject as a student was always English. Essays to her were never a chore and she thoroughly enjoyed English Literature.
After gaining Distinctions for both subjects at the GCE O/L examination, Sashika also studied Greek and Roman Civilisation for the Advanced Level and secured an A for it.
“I loved writing answers for the Literature questions on Aeneid, Socrates, Oedipus and Agamemnon which I grasped with ease and delight,” recalled Sashika.
Quiet personality
As someone whose thoughts are mostly silently experienced, Sashika thinks and listens more than she speaks, and writing gives her thoughts the necessary expression. “Perhaps due to my quiet personality, I feel motivated, happy and comfortable to engage with paper, than speak out loud to an audience,” explained Sashika.
Her previous book, touched on themes such as racism to abuse, pedophilia to rape, estrangement to suicide, political corruption to societal pressure etc, with poetry that don’t shy away from these topics and raises the curtain on the aftermath, the sadness, the very real emotions of those who experience it, while cynically questioning the perpetrators who get off scot-free.
However, in ‘Life Away From the Stage and Microphone,’ the author’s motive was single-purposed. 2024 was the 40th anniversary of the amazing disappearance of the dreaded cancer her father, Vijaya Corea was afflicted with. Forty years since the day it all took place.
“As the decades passed, many might not exactly know what really happened. The younger generation has not lived through that period either,” said Sashika.
She received so many questions about that wondrous, unthinkable incident and wondered how it took place. “I felt now was the moment to share that story and to remember God for the amazing work He did, in the life of my father, which I witnessed firsthand and will ever be grateful for.”
Inspirational English lecturer
At University, she topped the batch in English and Linguistics in both semesters. The author mentioned how the late Professor Manique Gunasekera (Head of the English Department at the time) was a very dear, inspirational English lecturer to Sashika who knew each of her students and truly cared for their well-being.
Even after Sashika moved to the field of psychology and was working full time at Bishop’s College Colombo as Counsellor and was involved in teaching at Stafford International School, his support towards her writing journey never ceased.
“Dr Gunasekera always encouraged me to write but my days were full,” she said. “I didn’t attempt to go down the writing path until after I passed out of Coventry University U.K. After first completing my Master’s Degree in Applied Psychology (MSc), my time to write again slowly opened up.”
Sashika’s writing process differs from book to book. ‘30 Selected Poems’ was written over a time span of years and was mostly inspired by situations, moments, news headlines and societal observations of Sri Lanka. “In some instances I would get deeply inspired and write just a few lines and return to it much later, till a fully-shaped poem took form, over time. At other times a poem would unravel in one sitting,” explained Sashika.
Completely different
However, ‘Life Away From The Stage and Microphone’ was completely different. As it was biographical, the writing process was time-specific, more intentional and planned. The author mentioned how it involved collating memories, laying them out chronologically, interviewing to clarify details and weaving it into a story that spanned decades.
“For all the story entailed, I limited it to the heart and crux of what mattered the most, as I didn’t want to make it a laborious read.”
Sashika wanted the young and old alike to find it to be an easy read, a book that wouldn’t consume or demand too long a commitment of reading time but also brought out the most pivotal moments of Vijaya Corea’s story.
One of the major challenges that the author faced while writing about her father is that most of the characters involved in the book were no longer among the living.
Sashika found direction through her mother, Ranjini (late wife of Vijaya Corea) who witnessed the miracle first hand, and shared the experience with her in greater, repeated detail. Her father corroborated her recount as identical.
Remarkable human being
“On a personal level, constantly writing, recalling and remembering the words of my precious mother, brought a tear to my eye! She was a huge part of my life and always will be,” said Sashika.
Her time spent with her father to obtain specifics and clarify details was also memorable and emotional to her.
“I would have him come over to my home and after dinner and late coffee, I would listen to him relate the facets to his real-life story. Going back in time to the very beginning, it was a very special time of bonding too,” recalled Sashika fondly.
Sashika found her father to be a remarkable human being, with a strong personality and attitude towards people and life. Working on this book made her admire these characteristics of Vijaya Corea even more. She discovered the inherent goodness her father possessed since his childhood.
“He was a respectful son who honoured his father and his mother, even when circumstances were harsh.”
The book explores the ups and downs of Vijaya Corea’s life. It also talks about family conflict, faith, repair and restoration. And also how healing flows when we forgive and are forgiven.
“I hope that readers see how it is no secret, what God can do. What He has done for others, God can do for you,” said Sashika.
She saw that there is a God who followed her father from childhood and was always alive, even when he was unaware.
“I also hope they are touched by this story as much as I was, while writing it. The book is fact and not fiction. It is a medical mystery that only the hand of God could have brought into being.”
