ViewpointWriters should
get together
In response to Captain Elmo Jayawardena's 'Where have
all the authors gone' :
Lucky DE CHICKERA
It was extremely disconcerting to read the article by Capt Elmo
Jayawardena on the captioned topic as it made one feel that there were
many English 'Authors' out there who have been relegated to the dustbins
of history for want of someway of having there literary works published.
He opines that Sri Lankan Publishers in their "justifiable actions in
wanting to back winners" would discard very readable English writings by
Sri Lankan authors; he however suggests that there must be a way for
such Authors to get their works out in print and book form.
Capt. Jayawardena suggests that as an alternative to getting
Publishers to accept their writings that such discarded Authors "print
them and photocopy them and distribute to ten of your friends". One need
not have a book published to be an author, he continues.
It was pleasing to know that last years Gratiaen Prize short list
were all in Manuscript form(Books not Published). This just goes to
confirm Capt J's point.
I think there must be a way that all these aspiring English writers,
and writers to be, find a way of publishing their books without having
to depend on the handful of Publishing Houses who have other criteria by
which they judge whether or not they could accept a book for publishing.
Maybe Artscope could pick up this thread and initiate an "Annassi and
Kadala Gotu" group that could meet under the Siyambala tree and work out
ways and means by which the second half of this subject i.e. '....gone
to grave yards everyone" could be prevented. My wholehearted support
towards such a venture goes without saying.
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