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Book Review: Nomakena Sevaneli (නොමැකෙන සෙවණැලි ) by Hemamala Herath – By Wimal Kannangara Source : Dæhæna – September 2023 This is an unusual book review/ extract in that it is written in English about a Sinhala book. “Nomakena Sevaneli” is based on a true story woven around the diary of a person named Julia, the author Hemamala Herath had met during her 13 year long stay in Wodonga, Victoria. Both Julia and Hemamala had been members of an Inter-faith Group that was involved in social work and charities in Wodonga. During meetings it was discovered that Julia had faced serious difficulties in life, and that she had written about them in a diary and notes. Julia, the elder daughter of a bricklayer father and a mother who was a nurse living in a yet to be completed home had psychological issues seeing and communicating with unreal beings. While she was ...

Sep 1, 2023 Posted by In Articles Tagged , ,
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Book Reading by Janaka Malwatta – By Gothami Meepe Source : Qld Sri Lankan Newsletter – Dæhæna – December 2022 A book reading of Janaka Malwatta’s award winning poetry book “Blackbirds don’t mate with Starlings”, was held at the Avid Reader Bookshop on the 4th of November. The catalyst for this book, which won the Thomas Shapcott Prize this year, had been the distressing murder of George Floyd. His poetry brought into focus why so many of our youth felt compelled to join the Black Lives Matter movement. The first poem he read, ‘Swastika’, set the tone. How this sacred symbol of the East is now demonised and used to show hate is shown up brilliantly in this poem. It deeply resonated with me, and the direct style used to confront the issue was truly refreshing. The real-life circumstances that led him to understand racism and the effects of colonialism, were ...

Nov 30, 2022 Posted by In Articles Tagged , ,
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BOOK REVIEW: A Life on Our Planet – My Witness Statement by David Attenborough – By Wimal Kannangara Source : Brisbane Sri Lankan Newsletter – Dæhæna – September 2022 To anyone interested in nature and conservation, David Attenborough needs no introduction. Sir David Attenborough is Britain’s, if not the world’s, best known natural history documentary maker. Having joined BBC as a trainee producer in 1952, he rose to become the Controller of BBC2 during which time he introduced colour television to Britain and then to be the Director of Programmes for BBC Television. Then in 1973, he abandoned administration to be documentary making and writing. The rest is history. His witness statement covers the period 1937 when he was 11 years old to 2020 when he was 94 when this book was written. During this period, the world population grew from 2.3 billion to 7.8 billion and the remaining wilderness declined ...

Sep 1, 2022 Posted by In Articles Tagged , , , , , , ,
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Land of Stories – The Wishing Spell (Book One) by Chris Colfer – By Saranya Britton Source : Brisbane Sri Lankan Newsletter – Dæhæna – September 2022 Alex and Conner Bailey are twins who accidentally fall into a portal that leads them into a fairy tale world. However, in the Land of Stories they are chased by a menacing wolf pack and evil trolls. Alex and Conner want to go home, but how? Their new friend Froggy gives them an old book. Now they must collect several key items, such as a fairy’s tear, a spindle, a troll crown and more, in order to break the Wishing Spell which will help the twins travel back home. During the process they meet fairy tale characters. For example, Goldilocks is on the run, Cinderella is expecting a baby and Queen Red Riding Hood wants to marry Jack (of beanstalk fame). As they try ...

Sep 1, 2022 Posted by In Articles Tagged , , , ,
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