New Ink 5 Panel discussion on contemporary Sri Lankan poetry to be held this Saturday

• New Ink 5 Panel discussion on contemporary Sri Lankan poetry and fiction will feature five panellists including Lawanya Wijesekara, Vihanga Perera, Carmel Miranda, Gamini Akmeemana and Ruchira Fernando

Gamini Akmeemana

New Ink 5 Panel discussion on contemporary Sri Lankan poetry and fiction will be held on Saturday, March 22 at the International Centre for Ethnic Studies (ICES) between 2.30 to 5.30 p.m. Participants are Lawanya Wijesekara, Vihanga Perera, Carmel Miranda, Gamini Akmeemana and Ruchira Fernando. 

Lawanya Wijesekara has a MD in transfusion medicine and is a poet and translator. Her works include the translation into English of ‘Healer in the War Zone’ by Pathum Kerner, and the poetry collections ‘Fallen Leaves’ and ‘Muse, Martyr and Epiphany’. She is active in multiple social media platforms with ‘Isle of Poetry.’

Ruchira Fernando is a poet who believes in ‘transcending emotions through verses, and diving into a world where every poem tells a story.’ His poems are published in Instagram.

Carmel Miranda is a novelist and doctor. Her novel Crossmatch which focuses on the medical profession won the Gratiaen Prize in 2020 ‘for its compelling storyline, convincing characterisation, and its skilful use of language.’
Gamini Akmeemana who has won six literary awards since the 1980s including the Gratiaen has made an excellent comeback with his historical romance ‘The Shark Binder’, a tale of interracial love set against the pearl fishery and the colonial world of the 1920s. Akmeemana is also a Senior writer and columnist for Daily Mirror.
Vihanga Perera is a prolific author working in diverse genres (fiction, poetry, biography) with seven titles to his credit, including ‘The Fear of Gambling’ and ‘Stable Horses.’