Seven decades of creativity

I know of a few Sinhala creative writers who have never gone after fame and popularity seeking their works to be promoted over media channels. One such classic character is well known Sinhala writer Jayakody Seneviratne, 77, who has completed 62 works up to date. He strongly believes in writing as a discipline.

I was delighted to find, through his publisher Dayawansa Jayakody, how he happened to be so popular devoid of any special promotion or book launches, which is proliferating these days.

"I was born in a beautiful village around Kalutara on the bands of Kaluganga. From my childhood days I had the good opportunity to listen to the various types of folktales narrated by my mother. She had the greatest skill in rendering a village tale in her own words until we slept soundly. We, five in all and I being the youngest, grew up with her charming stories."

Popular novels

Jayakody Seneviratne has much to say about his childhood days. Most of what he had experienced as a child and as a young man has crept into the creative experiences in his popular novels. Having left the school in 1957, he had the chance of entering the health services in the capacity of a sanitary inspector.

That was one of the most respectable jobs available those days (my father too was in the same service). Seneviratne had also been inspired by one of his brothers who had been an active member of the Hela Havula, the literary group pioneered by the veteran scholar Munidasa Cumaratunga.

He had the good opportunity of browsing popular children's classics such as 'Hatpana', 'Heenseraya' and 'Magul Kema'. In the background, a young Seneviratne had the chance of testing his own skills in writing, which he says came to a climax on meeting one of the Sinhala pundits of the day and a veteran journalist who too belonged to the Hela Havula. He was We Vi Abhayagunawardhana, who had invited Seneviratne to write a novel.

At this juncture, Seneviratne had been testing his skills as a short story writer and a children's writer to newspapers of the day. The mission had been successful as the late scholar Abhayagunawardhana had stated a new publishing house, where he had included the very first novel by Seneviratne into the list of publications. This ushered in a new period of creativity in the life of Seneviratne. He was much sought after by newspaper editors to get his works serialized.

World classics

Seneviratne mentions his bilingual education at the school had paved the way for him to read quite a number of world classics. This too had been a driving force behind his creative process. He had not pushed himself to promote his books at any cost. But it is the social experiences embedded in his works that had made him a popular writer. To his credit he has six of his novels turned into films. There have been two novels made into television series. When I met Seneviratne last year at Radawana, to participate in Mahagama Sekara memorial literary event, he too was among common participants. Though he knew Sekara, he did not want to pose himself as a celebrity among others. Instead we saw a relaxed writer who had come to honour one of his contemporaries.

He firmly believes that one has to have intimate relations with the common folk to write a creative work that stimulates the reader. He sees that despite most work which earns a great repute, they are cut off from the central human experiences of today. He gives one example as one of his award-winning creative works, where he experienced as a young sanitary inspector. When he obtained his first station of work at Radawana, he had observed how a new bridge had been constructed. On observing how people react to the new bridge in place of the wooden bridge, he had conceived the stem of the creative work.

This work had won the first place in a competition of short stories sponsored by All Island Central Schools Association. Today in his mid seventies, Seneviratne enjoys a relaxed life as a full time writer. It is the creative demand that he has achieved in his career that satisfies him.

Publisher Dayawansa Jayakody, his main publisher, is always delighted to publish a book.

'There is always a demand for his books. We have nothing to worry about his books. There is a ready readership for him."

The latest venture in Seneviratne's literary career is to launch his novel in Australia. It is said that proliferation and success never go together. But this is an alternative issue.

"Time and again I have proved one factor," says Seneviratne.

"What is that?"

"A disciplined writer, especially in the creative field could remain steady even devoid of any extraneous victories like winning awards. You may agree or not that's my stance."

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