Rekindling Lanka's renowned wordsmith
Martin Wickramasinghe: Maha Gathkaru Vatha
Author: W.A. Abeysinghe
Pages: 560
Publishers: Sarasa (Pvt) Ltd.
Price: Rs. 750
His books open doorways to an array of culture and tradition which
would have been buried with time had it not been immortalized in
writing.
Memories and experiences rekindled in autobiographic works like
Upanda Sita further emphasize that the island's reputed wordsmith did
not merely 'create' the incidents which are found in his books. They are
drawn from memories and experienced from childhood in rural landscapes.
 This
realm of knowledge stored within Martin Wickramasinghe is brought to
light when one leafs through the pages in Martin Wickramasinghe: Maha
Gathkaru Vatha penned by National Library and Documentation Services
Board Chairman W.A. Abeysinghe.
The timely volume is by no means small in size but a treat to read as
it comprises insight into the country's rich past and lifestyle in the
village.
It is composed in simple terms so that readers will not find it a
hassle to go through the passages which unravel in incidents that seem
alien to the modern society.
Wickramasinghe possessed the rare talent of seeing beyond his time
and period and this skill derived from what life had to offer to him.
Like most of the people in our society today Wickramasinghe did not
dismiss such situations as mere 'happenings' but pondered over them to
see the world around them in a better angle.
True to its theme the book reveals facts about the life, works and
vision of the sage of Koggala. This is not a biography of the wordsmith
but a book which provides insight to how experience and observations
moulded his power of thinking.
This in turn was laced into sentences and transferred into writing.
Martin Wickramasinghe: Maha Gathkaru Vatha embodies a table briefly
describing some of the highlights in Wickramasinghe's life along with
some photographs. A collection of striking quotes taken from his books
deriving from a variety of themes are also included.
The book comprising a series of chapters unveiling Wickramasinghe's
personality and style to modern readers is the first part of a series.
There are more to follow because one book alone cannot grasp the
abundance of talent and knowledge behind the wordsmith. Fans of
Wickramasinghe's works, students engaged in studying his creations,
budding writers and even the common man will no doubt have much to gain
from the life and experiences of the legendary writer.
- Ruwini Jayawardana |
