Rahubadda bags Swarna Pusthaka Award

Suraj A. Bandara

Sumithra Rahubadda's 'Kandak Se Ma' won the Swarna Pusthaka Award, Sri Lanka's richest literary prize at a gala awards ceremony at the BMICH on September 10.

Sri Lanka Book Publishers Association (SLBPA) organized the award ceremony for the third consecutive years. The Swarna Pusthaka awards program is held in conjunction with the Colombo International Book Fair every September.

Five novelists were short listed and awarded. Their publishers also were awarded at this event.

A total of 80 novels written last year were submitted for adjudication this year. Chief Guest, Sri Lankan Ambassador to Thailand Prof. J.B.Dissanayaka addressing the ceremony said the readership of Sinhala novels that are literally rich are not confined to Sri Lankans. They should translate them to other languages. If Sinhala novels can be translated to English they could be presented for the Booker Prize too.

He said four novelists who won the Booker Prize have won the Nobel prize in Literature. Though Booker prize is offered only for English novels the Nobel prize is offered to translated novels as well, he said.

A Turkey novelist Orhan Pamuk won the Nobel Prize for the book 'My Name is Red' in 2006 written in Turkey. The Man Group publishers established an award ceremony only for the Asians called 'Man Asian Literary Prize' in 2007. Therefore, Sinhala novelists can contend for this prize by translating their masterpieces into English.

He said Sinhala Novelists have come a long way to reach this level and they use various techniques to attract readers to their novels. He was optimistic that Sri Lankan authors would soon win International Prizes.