Hemaratne Liyanaarachchi: remembering an old friend
Professor Sunanda Mahendra
Our good friend, who was closer to our heart not only as an intimate
friend in the sixties, but also a creative writer of some standing, is
no more. I came to know of this sad passing away by someone who rang me
from a wedding ceremony. The caller did not disclose his name, and just
passed the message of the demise of our friend.
 |
|
Hemaratne
Liyanaarachchi |
Liyanaarachchi started his teaching career after passing out as a
trained teacher from Maharagama Training College. In the first instance
he was a math teacher. Then he gradually shifted his interest to
literature, which culminated as an English honours graduate.
During the sixties his maiden collection of Sinhala short stories
titled Mataka Satahan caught the attention of the critics of the day as
creative writer of some specialty.
We were a group of colleagues who were avid readers of world
literature: French writers such as Albert Camus, Russian writers like
Anton Chekhov and Tolstoy and various others whose works were seen
catching the attention to one whole generation of readers. Hemaratne
Liyanaarachchi was one of the mini informants on literary trends.
He was also a creative contributor to radio. Some of his finest short
stories were later compiled into one anthology titled Sapumalge Lokaya.
His first long work, a Sinhala novel, titled Padadayakugen, made him
known as a vibrant creative narrator of certain complexities of human
behaviour. His second novel Antimada is one of the most moving short
narrative pertaining to the subject of humans entrapped in modern day
developments with the advancement of technology.
HL’s second novel titled Mama Rathriya Vemi for me was an
experimental entry into a fantasy. In small literary circles he and his
works remain constantly discussed. As a contributor to Sinhala
newspapers he had two series of articles.
First on his own experience in the world of letters, second, a series
of articles on critical theories. We cannot forget him, at least some of
the moments we treasure.
|
