Write to Reconcile Call for Submissions

The National Peace Council, in conjunction with the internationally renowned Sri Lankan author, Shyam Selvadurai, is inviting new and emerging writers to apply to Write to Reconcile-a creative writing project that brings together Sri Lankan writers who are interested in writing creative pieces (fiction, memoir or poetry) on the issues of conflict, peace, reconciliation and memory, as they relate to Sri Lanka.

The project will be conducted in English. It will consist of two four-day creative writing workshops and two creative writing online forums, which will take place between February and June 2013. This will be followed by the publication of the participants' work in an anthology at a book launch in late August 2013. The project is open to all applicants who have Sri Lankan or dual citizenship between ages 18-29, as well as to all secondary school and university teachers. Write to Reconcile will cover all expenses of participants.

Entry into Write to Reconcile is competitive and only 24 participants will be selected. Talent will be one of the selection criteria but emphasis will also be given to the representation of ethnicity, culture and disability among participants and the inclusion of participants from underprivileged backgrounds. An equal number of women and men will be selected to participate in the project.

Speaking about the project, Shyam Selvadurai said that his aim is to help develop a community of like-minded individuals committed to contributing, through their writing, to the process of peace and reconciliation in Sri Lanka. "A very important way to heal our past wounds and move forward as a country is through telling our stories. Creative work, be it fiction, poetry or memoir, allows us to emotionally understand and empathize with the viewpoints, memories and experiences of others. Art, in all forms, has always played a very important role in healing wounds and also building tolerant, pluralistic societies."

Speaking about the National Peace Council's participation in the project, Dr Jehan Perera, the Executive Director, said, "NPC is very happy to be associated with Shyam Selvadurai in implementing this project. So far much of our work has focused on creating awareness and promoting dialogue on issues of reconciliation and political transformation. In this project we hope to capture the response of writers from different communities to the realities they face and their ideas on reconciliation."

During the two four-day residential workshops, which will take place in Colombo and Jaffna respectively, participants will generate creative work and learn the tools and techniques of writing and editing. There will also be screening of films, visits by local artists and cultural tours of Colombo and Jaffna. The work of honing and developing their writing skills will take place further in the online forums. Each participant will work one-on-one with Shyam Selvadurai to prepare a creative piece for publication in a Write to Reconcile anthology to be published in late August 2013. Write to Reconcile is sponsored by the Royal Norwegian Embassy. For more information on the project and how to apply go to www.writetoreconcile.com. Or email us for an application at [email protected]. The deadline to submit an application is December 30, 2012.