The State Literary Awards 2022 event was held recently, recognising the best in Sri Lankan literature at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH), under the patronage of President Ranil Wickremesinghe.
The ceremony took place on 28 October, and is an annual event organised by the State Literary Advisory Council, Sri Lanka Arts Council, Department of Cultural Affairs, and the Ministry of Buddhasasana, Religious, and Cultural Affairs. This is the 65th chapter of the awards ceremony.
According to a statement issued by the Presidential Secretariat, 40 State Literary Awards and three Sahitya Ratna Lifetime Awards were presented on 28 October, with the Sahitya Ratna Awards going to Prof. Chandrasiri Palliyaguru (Sinhala), Prof. Kamani Jayasekara (English), and T. Gnanasekaran (Tamil).
Eric Ilayapparachchi’s Nakula Muni was named the best independent Sinhala novel, while Premani Amarasinghe’s Footprints was named the best independent English novel, and Sivalingam Aruran’s Adurasalei was named the best independent Tamil novel.
The win for Adurasalei was a key moment that night, as the author is currently detained at the New Magazine Prison for his connections to the LTTE. The author is 42 years old and has penned seven Tamil language novels and one English language novel while in prison. All of Sivalingam Aruran’s novels have been nominated for the State Literary Awards, and he won the award for best independent Tamil novel in 2016, the Prisons Department stated.
Also present that night were State Literacy Board President Ven. Rambukana Siddartha Thero, Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs Minister Vidura Wickramanayaka and Secretary Somaratne Vidanapathirana, Cultural Affairs Director Tharani Anoja Gamage, Prof. J. B. Disanayaka, Prof. Sunil Ariyaratne, and Prof. Praneeth Abeysundara.
Photos Saman Abesiriwardana