Sybil Wettasinghe

Sybil Wettasinghe
Native name සිබිල් වෙත්තසිංහ
Born 31 October 1927 (1927-10-31) (age 90)
Gintota, Galle, Sri Lanka
Nationality Sri Lankan
Occupation Writer (Sinhala), Author in Sri Lanka
Spouse(s) Don Dharmapala Wettasinghe

Kala Keerthi Sybil Wettasinghe is a veteran children's book writer and an illustrator in Sri Lanka.[1] Her books have been translated into several languages.

Early life

Wettasinghe was born in 1928 and spent the first six years of her childhood in the village of Gintota, situated in the suburbs of Galle, in southern Sri Lanka. Then her family moved to Colombo where she entered into Holy Family Convent. At the age of 17 Wettasinghe joined Lankadeepa newspaper. In 1952, Wettasinghe moved to the much-coveted Lakehouse publications where she became the main illustrator of the Janatha newspaper. Her entry into Lakehouse gave access to an entire network of newspapers and she wrote and illustrated for the Sundayobserver, Silumina, Daily News and Sarasaviya.[2] In 1955,she married Don Dharmapala Wettasinghe, the Chief Editor of all the Lakehouse Newspapers. She is a grandmother of five.[3]

Books

In 1952, while working at the Janatha newspaper, Wettasinghe made her first attempt to write stories. She produced a narrative called Kuda Hora for the children's page of the newspaper. This story eventually developed into a book that won critical acclaim both locally and internationally. Inspired by the success of Kuda Hora, Wettasighe applied herself to writing as well as illustrating and proceeded to produce over 200 children's books over the course of her career.[4] Most of her books have been translated into languages such as Japanese, Chinese, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, English, Korean, Dutch and Tamil.

Year Book Languages
1994 Hoity the Fox Japanese, Korean, Swedish, Norwegian, Chinese, Sinhala and English[5][6][7]
1970 Little Granny Tamil, Sinhala and English
2009 Poddi and Podda Japanese and Sinhala
1986 Thambaya Takes a Ride[8] Sinhala, Tamil & English
1960 Sooththara Puncha[9] Sinhala
1999 Run away Beard[10] Sinhala, Japanese, Tamil and English. And will soon be out in Korean language
1994 Strange Visitors to the Cat Country[11] Japanese, English, Tamil and Sinhala
1965 Wesak Lantern[12][13] English, Tamil and Sinhala
2009 Eternally Yours English, Sinhala and Tamil[4]
2009 Dura Gamanak[14] Sinhala
2000 Little Red Car English, Sinhala and Tamil
2010 Monster in the Well English and Sinhala
1995 Child in Me[15] Dutch, English, Sinhala, Tamil and recently in Japanese
1970 Magul Gedara Bath Natho Sinhala
1956 The Umbrella Thief[16] Japanese, Chinese, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, English, Korean, Sinhala and Tamil

Awards

During her career, Wettasinghe has won much international acclaim and her children's stories secured awards both in Europe and Asia. In 1965, her story 'Vesak Lantern' won an Isabel Hutton Prize for Asian Women writers for Children. Her first book 'Kuda Hora' was chosen for the Best Foreign Book Award in Japan in 1986 and in 1987 it won the Japanese Library Association Award as the most popular children's book. 'Kuda Hora' book was translated into seven languages (English, Norwegian, Danish, Japanese, Chinese, Korean and Swedish). Wettasinghe has held exhibitions of her work in Japan and Czechoslovakia and in 2003, she was invited to Norway for a book festival for well-known authors. Internationally her work has received high acclaim and attention, in particular for its distinctly vernacular themes and styles.

  • For "The Wesak Lantern : State Literary Award for best English Children's book in year 1996.
  • For "The Child in Me" : The Gratiaen Prize for most Creative English book in year 1995.[17][18]
  • Prize for illustrations of "Deeptha Lama Maga", awarded by prestigious Biannale of Illustrations in Bratislava (BIB).
  • State Literary Award for "Magul Gedara Bath Natho" book in year 1971.
  • Best Children's Picture Book award for "The Umbrella Thief" by Ministry of Cultural Affairs of Japan, in year 1986.
  • Most popular Children's Book award by Tokyo Children's Library, in year 1987.
  • Award for Illustrations of the Sinhala Children's Bible "Deeptha Lama Maga" in year 1989, presented by Biannale of Illustrations Bratislava.
  • Best Juvenile Children's Book Award for "Meti Gedara Lamay" by Arts Council of Sri Lanka in year 1992.
  • Best English Children's Book award for "Wooley Ball" by Arts Council of Sri Lanka in year 1994.
  • Gratiaen Prize for best English Children's Book for "The Child in Me" in year 1995.
  • Hoity the Fox – By the Ministry of Culture and Social Welfare Japan, in year 1995.
  • "Vishwa Prasadini" Award for Art and Children's Literature presented by the 1st Prime Minister of Sri Lanka Hon. Sirimavo Bandaranayaka, in year 1996.
  • Award of "Rohana Pradeepa" from the University of Ruhuna in year 2003.
  • "Galu Pahansilu" – from the Young Men's Buddhist Association Galle, in year 2004.
  • Kala Keerthi award presented by the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, in year 2005.
  • "Solis Mendis Award" in year 2007.
  • For "Dura Gamanak" The State literary awards[19]
  • Nikkei Asia Prize for Culture for 2012[20][21]

See also

  • Sybil Wettasinghe,1995, Child in Me, Colombo: Published by Author[15]
  • Anoli Perera, 2008,“Women Artists in Sri Lanka: Are they the Carriers of the Women’s Burden?", South Asia Journal for Culture, Vol. 2. Pitakotte: Colombo Institute/ Theertha.[22]

References

  1. ↑ "Sybil Wettasinghe (Author of The Umbrella Thief)". Goodreads.com. 22 July 2012. Retrieved 29 August 2012.
  2. ↑ "Biography of Sybil Wettasinghe by Nethra Samarawickrema – Theertha". Theertha.org. 1 October 2009. Retrieved 29 August 2012.
  3. ↑ "'Celeb Chat' Explores Childhood Dreams With Sybil Wettasinghe | The Sunday Leader". Thesundayleader.lk. 26 June 2011. Retrieved 29 August 2012.
  4. 1 2 Perera, Anoli. "The Island-Leisure". Island.lk. Retrieved 29 August 2012.
  5. ↑ "Fukuinkan Shoten Publishers,Inc" (in Japanese). Fukuinkan.com. Retrieved 29 August 2012.
  6. ↑ "Hoity – in Japanese". Sybilwettasinghe.com. Retrieved 29 August 2012.
  7. ↑ "Hoity the Fox – in Chinese". Sybilwettasinghe.com. Retrieved 29 August 2012.
  8. ↑ "|| Daily News Online Edition – Sri lanka :: Print Page". Dailynews.lk. 27 October 2010. Retrieved 29 August 2012.
  9. ↑ "Eye". Nation.lk. Retrieved 29 August 2012.
  10. ↑ Wettasinghe, Sybil (1999). "The Runaway Beard". ISBN 9789555991780.
  11. ↑ "Plus". Sundaytimes.lk. Retrieved 29 August 2012.
  12. ↑ Wettasinghe, Sybil (1965*). "Vesak Lantern". ISBN 9789559136064. Check date values in: |date= (help)
  13. ↑ "Vesak lantern (Book, 1965)". [WorldCat.org]. Retrieved 29 August 2012.
  14. ↑ Sybil Wettasinghe. "Bookazone Pvt Ltd :: Sinhala :: BOOKS :: Lama Katha :: Dura Gamanak". Books.lk. Retrieved 29 August 2012.
  15. 1 2 The child in me. "The child in me (9789559511076): Sybil Wettasinghe: Books". Amazon.com. Retrieved 29 August 2012.
  16. ↑ Wettasinghe, Sybil; Hirano, Cathy (1987). "The Umbrella Thief". ISBN 9780916291129.
  17. ↑ "|| Features". Dailynews.lk. Retrieved 29 August 2012.
  18. ↑ "The Gratiaen Trust – Prize Winners 1993–1999". Gratiaen.com. Retrieved 29 August 2012.
  19. ↑ "Sri Lanka News | Online edition of Daily News – Lakehouse Newspapers". Dailynews.lk. 2 October 2010. Retrieved 29 August 2012.
  20. ↑ "Sybil Wettasinghe to be awarded Nikkei Asia Prize for Culture". Sundaytimes.lk. 18 May 2012. Retrieved 29 August 2012.
  21. ↑ "Nikkei.com – Nikkei Asia Prizes 2012". E.nikkei.com. Retrieved 29 August 2012.
  22. ↑ "Women Artists in Sri Lanka:Are they Carriers of a Women's Burden? by Anoli Perera — Theertha". Theertha.org. Retrieved 29 August 2012.


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