National Trust SL announces 2025 awards for publications on intangible heritage

Friday, 25 April 2025 04:42 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The National Trust Sri Lanka has opened submissions for its 2025 awards program, inviting Sri Lankan authors to submit books published in 2024 that explore the island’s intangible heritage. The awards, which aim to honour and promote excellence in heritage writing, are open to works published in Sinhala, Tamil, or English.

The initiative is part of the Trust’s broader mission to preserve and raise awareness of the country’s non-material cultural legacy – including oral traditions, folklore, music, dance, rituals, craftsmanship, and traditional knowledge - much of which remains outside the purview of formal Government protection.

A total of four prizes will be awarded: one First Prize, consisting of a Gold Medal, a certificate, and a cash award of Rs. 100,000; and three Second Prizes, each comprising a Silver Medal, certificate, and Rs. 50,000. Eligible authors must submit two copies of their book along with a brief biography to the National Trust Office at the Postgraduate Institute of Archaeology, 407 Bauddhaloka Mawatha, Colombo 7, no later than 30 April 2025. Only one entry is permitted per author, and all decisions by the independent selection board will be final.

Commenting on the importance of the initiative, National Trust Sri Lanka President Pro tem Professor Nimal De Silva, said, “Our intangible heritage is the soul of our nation – the stories we tell, the rituals we preserve, the crafts we pass down, and the wisdom we share across generations. By recognising and rewarding those who document these traditions, the National Trust seeks to inspire greater national pride and ensure these cultural treasures endure.”

Established in 2005, the National Trust – Sri Lanka is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to the preservation of the island’s tangible and intangible heritage. The Trust is also a member of the International National Trust Organisation (INTO), a global network comprising similar organisations in over 40 countries.

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