The English Writers’French Night Out
A Literary Evening featuring readings of Carl Muller, Dhanuka Bandara and Vihanga Perera
Alliance française de Kandy, 8 June at 6pm. All are welcome!
CARL MULLER
Arguably the most influential writer of English fiction in Sri Lanka for the past two decades, Carl Muller took the literary circuit by storm with his debut The Jam Fruit Tree in 1993. He has since written in excess of twenty books within the diversity of novels, short fiction, poetry, essays, criticism and random pot shots.
Muller's most recent work takes us into the mythologically rich, legendary realm of historical fiction, with his The City of the Lion and The Grandeur of the Lion. Here, much in the classical vein, Carl strives to recreate the prosperity and glory in the days and works of Prince Dutta Gamini. These twin novels are sequels to Carl's The Children of the Lion, published in 1997.
Carl is without doubt the most widely read and bestselling Sri Lankan writer of the day. He is also a columnist, a literary critic and an unstoppable storyteller when the mood sets in. He has been awarded both the Gratiaen and State Literary awards in recognition of his literary contributions.
DHANUKA BANDARA
Dramatist and poet Dhanuka Bandara is currently working on his hitherto untitled second epic scale poem. His esoteric, postmodernist style undergoes a radical shift with The Love Song of AJ Vijay (available online), which was earlier merited with a serialized publication by the The Nation. Reminiscent of the strain in a younger TS Eliot, AJ Vijay was hailed by several critics as one of the most “promising poems” by a Sri Lankan writer.
Dhanuka is also currently engaged in a university production of Peter Shaffer's 1973 play, Equus. His earlier performances of note include The Commode (2010) and The Banana Debate (2006). Dhanuka is also a columnist and critic in two national weeklies. He does not publish his work.
VIHANGA PERERA
Early in 2012, Vihanga Perera released his new book The Fear of Gambling. Set against the socio-historical backdrop of post-2009 Sri Lanka, Vihanga's book looks at several personal and national spaces in the scope of a multi-threaded narrative. The Fear of Gambling, says the writer, “is all what the contemporary Sri Lanka and its hard pressed Sri Lankans are about”.
Vihanga has published fiction, short fiction and poetry over the past 6 years and has been shortlisted for the Gratiaen Prize on two instances. He is also a freelance writer, columnist and critic of the arts. In a career in which he has made more enemies than friends he claims The Fear of Gambling to be the “best book of the year”.
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