- ‘I wrote the book so that anybody can read it and relate to it,’ says author Nadishka Aloysius
Children’s book That Easter Sunday by Nadishka Aloysius was recently awarded in the the Best Children’s Literature Category II at the recently concluded State Literary Awards 2021.
The State Literary Award is the annual literary prize awarded by the Government of Sri Lanka and it is an incredibly prestigious recognition bestowed upon outstanding literary works.
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Nadishka Aloysius presenting the book to Archbishop of Colombo His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith[/caption]
Speaking to the author of That Easter Sunday, Aloysius shared her thoughts on having received such a recognition, particularly for this specific work which tells the story of an incredibly significant and deeply scarring moment in recent Sri Lankan history – the Easter Sunday attacks.
A teacher, actor, and author of 13 books, Aloysius is no stranger to awards and state recognition for her works. Her novel Raavana’s Daughter was longlisted for the Gratiaen Prize in 2019 and the State Literary Award in 2020, and a number of her works, including Ronan’s Dinosaur, was nominated for the State Literary Award in 2019, and Roo the Little Red Tuk Tuk was a finalist at the International Wishing Shelf Book Award in 2019.
Addressing her most recent accolade, Aloysius shared that to begin with, she wasn’t even all that sure her work was nominated. However, she was quite surprised when she received two invites for the award ceremony as another of her works was also nominated. “At the invitation stage it all came as quite the surprise,” she said.
She stated that she was honoured to have received such a recognition for her novel, especially considering its significance and the subject matter. She noted that she was especially surprised that they awarded this prize to a book that contains a lot of religious connotations, adding: “I wrote the book so that anybody can read it and relate to it; you need not be a Christian, but by the nature of the subject matter, the setting is in a church and it is Easter, and the Christian religious connotations are very much present.”
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The State Literary Award[/caption]
That Easter Sunday is a story narrated by Vibhu, a little church mouse, and we explore the incident through Vibhu and his friend’s eyes. They are outsiders like you and I; they are on the outside looking in and they observe the humans from their mouse hole. We follow Vibhu as he realises that his best friend Seha is missing and the many obstacles he faces in his search for her.
Referring to the complexity of the subject matter and how she went about addressing it for children, Aloysius shared that she did it with a lot of care, even reaching out to two different child psychologists to get their professional opinion on whether it is presentable for children. The novel also includes some reflective questions at the end for parents, if they wish to start a discussion with their children after reading it.
“There are so many incredible books that are written, but we don’t always hear about them, and even my book, while my close friends and family knew of it, there were many who had no idea that a children’s book about the tragedy was written. I hope that this type of recognition will allow for more people to come across it and read it. Whether you borrow it from a library or a friend, I hope that you are able to read it,” she said.
The book priced at Rs. 400 is available at leading bookshops, gift stores, and directly from the author. All sales from the books will benefit the victims of the Easter Sunday attacks, who are still in need of assistance.
