Janaki Sooriyarachchi
All-rounder with children in her mind:
Ruwini Jayawardana
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Versatile author-illustrator, Janaki Sooriyarachchi.
Picture by Mahinda Vithanachchi
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When one focuses on children's literature in Sri Lanka her name
inevitable springs to mind. The mission in her life is to lavish love
upon the young as she gains immense pleasure in seeing a child take
delight from her words carefully penned down on paper.
With talent to approach and speak to young minds in a truly unique
manner she is adorned and cherished as much as her work. She is Janaki
Sooriyarachchi, the young and versatile author-illustrator.
Janaki was born and grew up in Puhulwella with her maternal
grandparents. The beauty of her surrounding, a huge garden edged by a
paddy field on one side and a rubber estate on the other with a view of
Puhul Ella inspired the young lass.
While her brothers spent time in playing cricket and climbing trees
Janaki was left on her own to wander around the garden. This proved to
be quite an adventure.
"It is difficult to pin point a specific way on how I get the ideas
for my stories but the time I spent at my grandfather's home formed the
roots to my stories. I was inspired by the environment and I use to
observe the surroundings, the plants and animals carefully, much like a
scientist," Janaki said.
"I have always been a shy and quiet child but I was also very
observable. When people visited our home I use to watch them carefully.
What I observed was stored in my mind and flows out through characters
in one of my stories." Janaki's grandfather was a school principal and
her grandmother was a maths teacher.
The children were taught to wake up early and be punctual. She said
that this early training was helpful for her present life.
Ever since she was able utter, the young child sang songs to herself
and ever since she was able to stand on her two feet she drew on walls.
She got constant scolding for this and her parents did not encourage
this process never guessing that her scribbles would turn out to be
award winning masterpieces one day.
"I was the only one in my family who turned towards art. All the
other family members turned towards business, banking and teaching," she
explained.
She composed her first book at the age of eight. It was a book of
ballads titled Api Denna and is related to a dream she had of going to a
fairyland with her doll. The book was published when she was 14 and
since then she had authored 125 books.
How do you manage to approach the minds of children?
"I write in the same manner in which I wrote in my first book. Only
the place had changed. That is I am no longer at Puhulwella but in a
different location. I do not have to recall my childhood. I believe that
there is still a child within me, in the corner of my heart," she
replied with a smile.
Janaki was a bright child and was able to pick up things very
quickly. She showed great promise in her academic work. An old girl of
Visakha Vidyalaya, she wanted to become a psychiatrist but soon her
passion for art took over.
After completing her Advanced Level examination she joined Sampath
Bank and completed the professional Banking Examinations within a short
period. During this part of her life she explored her skills as a
graphic designer.
Apart from literature she had also shown her skills in dancing, music
and painting. She is an undergraduate of Bhathkande Sangith Vidyapith,
Luknow, following Visharada exams in Hindustani music. She had presented
her Arangethram in 2004 and held an exhibition of oil paints at the end
of 2001.
In 1999 the young author was able to establish her own publishing
company, "Tikiri Publishers" which specialises in children's story
books.
She had won many awards including the State Literary Awards 2007 for
Children's Literature - English presented by the Cultural Affairs
Ministry, Bunka Awards 2005 presented by the Japan-Sri Lanka Cultural
Foundation, Outstanding Achiever 2001 presented by the Association of
Business and Professional Women (Sri Lanka), bronze medal for the title
of the Professional Woman of the year 2000 presented by the Women's
Chamber of Industry and Commerce of Sri Lanka and the second place in
the Youth Awards 99 presented by the Ministry of youth and Cultural
Affairs.
She had been the only person to win two State literary awards in a
year. She achieved this in 2004.
Around 30 of her books - E Kathandara- can be read on line on her
website www.tikiri.com.
"A few of the e-institutions in the US asked me to for some of my
stories to be put on their site. I contributed but soon after I realised
that this will give Sinhala children all over the world the chance to
read my stories for free.
This is the first E Kathandara site for children in Sri Lanka. I
receive a lot of fan mail from all over the island and from Sri Lankan
children living abroad, from countries like Peru, Israel and Trinidad,"
Janaki expressed.
She also engages in doing workshops for children in the primary
section at schools. "It began in 2004 when I was invited to do a speech
for the upper school of Musaeus College. I accepted but soon realised
that I was expected to speak for one hour," she explained adding that
this experience soon developed into a series of workshops.
She teaches children from year one to three on how to make picture
books and trains those in year four and five in creative writing.
After a break of two years she hopes to launch 10 of her latest
children's stories this month. She also expressed her wish to study
child psychology and do a film.
"I enjoy seeing children read my books. It is a source of
encouragement. Kids come from far away to visit me with little gifts. It
is very touching. It is hard to believe that one little story can make
such a big change in the mind of a child," she said.
"Do not wait until someone appreciates your work. If you feel like
doing something and it does not have negative effects on others, do it.
Do not expect any awards or rewards."
The author also expressed her gratitude towards Professor J. B.
Dissanayake and Kusuma Karunaratne for their help. |
