A Sri Lankan literary treasure is now online

| by Basil Fernando

(November 06, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka Guardian) Past copies of 'Channels', the literary publication of the English Writers Cooperative are now available online. The EWC has published Channels continuously since 1989. In these past issues are found poems, short stories and other creative writings written by a large number of creative writers from Sri Lanka writing in the English language.

Hundreds of writers have contributed to Channels over the years. For each volume of Channels there is an editor assigned by the EWC and among the past editors are, Anne Ranasinghe, Anthea Senaratna, Ransiri Menike Silva, Eva Ranaweera, Vijita Fernando, Yasmin Gooneratne, Rajiva Wijesinha, Alfreda De Silva, Punyakante Wijenaike, Kamala Wijeratne, Madhubhashini Ratnayake, Wilfred Jayasuriya, Sita Kulatunga, Ashley Halpe and Faith Jeane Ratnayake and several others.

Many of these volumes are now available on line at www.ewcchannels.com . The remaining volumes will also be made available soon.

To anyone interested in the Sri Lankan writings these collections will provide rich and varied reading material. For those who are outside Sri Lanka these writings will provide insights into the lives of people in varying circumstances in the country.

In 1989, the year in which Channels was first published was historically a time of conflict and violence in Sri Lanka. The decades that have passed since then have also been unique times. The lives, loves and deaths of the inhabitants of Sri Lanka under such extraordinary circumstances may be found through the expressions of story tellers, poets and other creative writers in these volumes.

For students of English these volumes would be of immense use. The educators may find useful teaching materials on language, literature and culture in these volumes.

Perhaps the time has come for a review of the unique features of creative writings in English in Sri Lanka. The website will be a rich source of information for any researcher.