On September 3, 2024, the 15th Vidyodaya Literary Awards ceremony was held at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Sri Jayewardenepura. This annual event, organized by the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, is notable for being the only literary awards ceremony organized by a university in Sri Lanka. The ceremony is a key platform for recognizing contemporary literature in the country.
The awards cover six categories: novels, short stories, poetry collections, articles, song poetry, and classical works. The evaluation process involves three rounds, conducted by experts in each field, ensuring a thorough and impartial assessment of the submissions.
The evaluation for the 2024 awards began in August, leading to the selection of the best works for the final round. This year’s event also highlighted the collaboration between academia and the publishing industry, with Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) signed with several prominent publishers to strengthen these ties.
S. Godage and Brothers (Pvt) Ltd. served as the silver partner, Sarasavi Publishers as the gold partner, and Buddhist Cultural Center as the bronze partner for the 2024 awards. These partnerships aim to promote high-quality literary publications in Sri Lanka.
The event recognized outstanding literary works published in 2023. The ‘Best Novel of the Year’ award was presented to “Thiwanka,” authored by Eric Ilyapparachchi. Other notable awards included:
- Best Classical Work: “Muni Tooth Work” by Dharmarathna Herath
- Best Song Poetry: “Cold Water Festival” by Kularathna Ariyawansha
- Best Article: “The Final Answer” by Aruna Pradeep Kumar
- Best Poetry Collection: “Dumalavan Yagara” by Ruwan Bandujee
- Best Short Story Collection: “Missed Island” by Prabhath Jayasinghe
The ceremony was attended by several distinguished guests, including Senior Prof. Pathmalal M. Manage, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Sri Jayewardenepura. The event brought together academics and journalists to celebrate Sri Lanka’s literary achievements.
Prof. Shirantha Heenkenda, Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, acknowledged the importance of the Vidyodaya Literary Awards in promoting contemporary literature. He noted that the involvement of academics with these works contributes to a broader discourse, benefiting both the academic community and future generations.
The Vidyodaya Literary Awards remain a key platform for recognizing and celebrating Sri Lankan literary talents across various genres, with a focus on enhancing the nation’s literary landscape through collaboration with leading publishers.
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