Bold and confrontational: Winners of Fairway National Literary Awards pave way forward for Sri Lanka

Gao Xingjian could not have put it better when he wrote “It’s in literature that true life can be found. It’s under the mask of fiction that you can tell the truth,” which aptly describe the winners of the recently concluded Fairway National Literary Awards 2017.

In his speech as the Chief Guest, Minister of Finance and Mass Media Mangala Samaraweera highlighted the power of the written word. Addressing writers who are blessed with the skill to use words effectively, he pointed out the importance of using this skill to foster reconciliation, and unite and heal the nation. He also emphasised the power of words in fighting for justice, cultivating compassion and human value, and seeking unity in diversity.

All three winners from the three language categories were acclaimed for transcending stereotypes of genre, questioning sociopolitical demarcations and challenging the hegemony of the ‘ideal’ frame of culture, society, religion, gender and writing structure. 

The two close contenders for the award in the English category, ‘The Song of the Sun God’ and ‘The Other One’, were praised for their striking narratives, dynamism of plots and development of characters within the storylines. Spanning three generations and different continents, Shankari Chandran’s ‘Song of the Sun God’ details the travails of the central characters who desperately try to survive and carve out an identity in a maelstrom of sociopolitical changes, including violence, racism, civil war and migration, with family bonding at the core. However, ‘The Other One’ by Amanda Jay emerged triumphant as per the unanimous decision of the distinguished judges. 

In the jury citation, Dr. Ranjini Obeyesekere mentioned that this novel cries for a re-reading. It does so not only because it is set in a surrealistic fictional world which is perhaps unfamiliar to the majority of Sri Lankan fiction readers, but because of its complex plot and storyline which is regularly interrupted with the author/narrator’s own thoughts and observations. The seemingly disconnected characters and stories merge together to create a deep and sensitive story of loss, human relationships and inner emotions of the characters. ‘The Other One’ according to the citation was a daring challenge thrown at conformity in terms of genre, structure, characterisation and plot framework.

Once again by a unanimous decision of the judges, the Sinhala category award was presented to Anurasiri Hettige for ‘Pandaka Puthra Wasthuwa’. The story is set in the urban middle-class milieu but defies the very structure in which it is born. The struggle of the central character, suppressed by cultural and sexual conservatism, reflects similar individual and collective struggles against the religious, cultural and heterosexual dogmas championed by the mainstream discourse. The author uses the literary form of ‘stream of consciousness’ to depict the post-modern and post-colonial experience of confrontation with the oppressive power structures prevalent in Sri Lanka. The writer also challenges standardised language patterns through the use of an experimental language that represents the marginalised people.

The Tamil category was won by Theniyaan for his novel ‘Ethanam’ which once again speaks on behalf of the oppressed, in this case, the Dalits – the ‘lowest’ caste in Hindu culture. The jury citation referred to the novel as being on the same lines as Mulk Raj Anand’s ‘The Untouchables’. It portrays the struggles of an oppressed and marginalised ethnic sub-category throughout the years of war and peace. The characters evolve as a composite part of the overall work. 

The Fairway National Literary Awards thus concluded another successful chapter in which the shortlisted and winning novels are representative of the evolving local literary landscape: questioning, daring and subversive. Being the most lucrative literary competition in the country, with the winners receiving Rs. 500,000 and the shortlisted authors collecting Rs. 100,000 each, Fairway National Literary Awards have created a highly encouraging atmosphere for local writers. Fairway Holdings, the creator of this competition, has been a catalyst in uplifting the local arts scene through its partnerships with and sponsorships of many artistic and literary ventures.