Archives

Second Thoughts by Prof. Sunanda Mahendra

While arrangements were made in the grandest manner possible to receive and felicitate the world honoured music maestro Amaradeva at the BMICH, a simple but important and unprecedented event took place at the premises of the Sinhala Department of the University of Colombo. At the launching of the learned journal of the Sinhala Literary Association, Sarasa, the leading Sri Lankan publisher Deshabandu Sirisumana Godage was honoured by the students and teachers of the said department citing him as the most important benefactor to the field of book-publishing in the country.

Sirisumana Godage who spoke to us in a mild tone, said that his main intention in the book-publishing industry is to see that he publishes to meet the needs of all types of readers in the country. As a result of this ideology he had been the recipient of the State Award for Literature for the publication of most number of books per year continuously for over a period of more than fifteen years. In fact one unknown fact, is that his name was about to be enlisted as the person who published the most number of books in Sri Lanka, in the pages of the Asian edition of the Guinness Book of records. But the record thus entered underwent an unfortunate change, for the particular book was not published in that year of records. But the report of the event of the number of books published went into other reports abroad.

Speaking to us, taking time off from his busy schedule of meeting writers, librarians, book-buyers and others, Godage told us how he commenced his book publishing project.

I started my life as a keeper of an aquarium where my main duty was to feed the fish and the birds around. I did this work with pleasure though it was just a starting point in my life. From there, I went to a printing firm of the pioneer printer and maker of types known as Cooray, who taught me the art of making types for the printing machines - one of the oldest forms of types we had in the country. Most of the old poetic works and other religious books were printed with the help of this type of popular machine among the printers of the day. Followed by this learning I took a keen interest in the art of printing. Bookbinding became my forte. At Cooray's I was paid five rupees per month, but when I learned book-binding, the well known book publishers of the time, Dodangoda Publishers paid me twenty five cents a day. All these happened during the nineteen forties and the beginning of the fifties. I too had the good opportunity of mixing with various kinds of business people especially Sinhala, Moors and Tamils. I learned the tricks of the trade by observation which is a must in the field.

'At this time of my apprenticeship in the printing trade there was one printing press known as Students Press, where I had the wanted laboratory of activities. I came to know of the various types of people who matter in the field of writing, the great scholar monks and laymen. One such great personality was the Ven. Balangoda Ananda Maitriya Thera who helped me by introducing me to other learned monks, of the day. All monks unlike today got their books bound so that they may be kept in their temple libraries. This brought me more money than I expected. Then I had the opportunity of meeting a person who had gone bankrupt. I joined hands with him to rebuild it. From there I managed to be on my own and I was my master as well as servant."

This profile of a book publisher does not end there. He saw to the needs of the libraries, the type of books wanted by the libraries and librarians. But he saw to it that he should not earn his living through unwanted exploitation. Even today, writers like him for his honesty, for he would try his best to hand over the needed sum of money that comes by way of a copyright or royalty. Writers of varying types rally round him for his kindness, for once a certain university professor said that he possesses the qualities of a Bodhisatva. The term Bodhisatva Gunopeta was used to denote this quality. He wants to publish as many books as possible to meet the demands of the reader. But there is one great impediment he says: The disaster is the increase in the price of printing paper and other printing material. It is difficult to price mark a book in order to reach a mass reading world. As such, we have requested UNESCO to help us see that we may be of good use to the reader at large. One of the major projects undertaken by Godage is the forthcoming English Book Publication Project.

"I wish to see that our Sinhala books are read in translation form by the English-speaking world, and as such I have invited quite a number of bilingual scholars to help me either in translation or in original to write in English. This is just an experiment and I see the response is fine. But it is indeed a hard task of getting a good translation for I need a committee to check errors and howlers. This is still in a formative stage, for I need goodwill from many areas", Godage says.

The publisher Godage was also talking to us on the various types of challenges in the field of publication. He pointed out one main challenge as the habit of reading, for the books from shelves a good deal of promotion is necessary. Who promotes what book is the question today for the student and the young scholar is interested in the text books and the supplementary reading material that goes with it to face the demands of the examination point of view..As such the flow of money comes from the sale of guide books and other examination-oriented readers. Godage says that he publishes serious books with the profits he gathers from the sale of exam-oriented books.

All in all, a certain degree of interest is kindled in the publication and book promotion industry in the country. A great big book fair was launched in the BMICH premises with numerous bookstalls. To my great surprise I saw a young girl with a heap of books tucked under her arms trying to cross the road. This I thought is a lucky sign, a memorable moment, and I wish the month of September the month known in the calendar as the month of books, above all, will be an everlasting fountain of wisdom for all book lovers in the country.

News | Business | Features | Editorial | Security
Politics | World | Letters | Sports | Obituaries |

Produced by Lake House
Copyright 2001 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
Comments and suggestions to :Web Manager