• Journalist and author Denagama Siriwardena launches his autobiography

It could be argued that all lives, regardless of how long they have lived or how far they have travelled, can impart knowledge and value to those who read or hear about them. This is something many would insist can be said about the life of journalist and author Denagama Siriwardena, who this year turned 80.

Fortunately, the author, on the insistence of family and friends, has penned his own life story, with the launch of ‘Denagama Watha’ taking place earlier this month. The autobiography, written in Sinhala, is published by Sarasavi. Its 650-plus pages document Siriwardena’s life and contain photographs of his work and family as well as details about his numerous publications.

At the launch of ‘Denagama Watha’, his son Prabath Siriwardena as well as notable figures in Sri Lanka’s literary field spoke about the writer and journalist whose words have been published widely and the loving father and husband we get a look at in the autobiography.

The man who wielded the pen

Siriwardena is a well-known writer and journalist. Born in 1945 to Don Nikulas Jinadasa and Karunawathi Hettiarachchi, Siriwardena grew up in the Southern Province. While he began working early in life to support his education, Siriwardena later became a teacher.

In 1976, he published his first book, ‘Ane Mage Nadu Asanu’, which was a collection of poetry. While he lost his teaching job due to his political activism, Siriwardena later became a journalist, eventually becoming the deputy editor of Vathmana magazine, Mahaweli Diyawara, and Silumina.

His book ‘Mithuro’ was translated to English and Tamil and was selected for the IBBY Honour List in 1994. The 1995 film ‘Ayoma’ was adapted from Siriwardena’s novel of the same name.

The book that took the longest to write

Delivering the welcome address at the launch of ‘Denagama Watha’ was Prabath Siriwardena, who began by saying it was rare for a son to get an opportunity to talk about one’s father in his presence but also in the presence of an audience. “The day after my birth, my father wrote in his diary: ‘Son, I was born to an unjust world with suffering and social inequalities. Today, you are born to worse times. We are dedicated to making this a better world for you.”

According to Prabath, Siriwardena believed strongly in the importance of directing society towards what is good and right. However, social injustice, discrepancies, and injustice kept growing, which Siriwardena felt great disappointment over. 

“He regretted being unable to create that world he wanted for us. Due to this, he believed that there was nothing society could take from his life story. We all knew this wasn’t the case. It took us years to convince him, and in the end, when my father and mother visited us in California in 2022, he finally began writing his story,” Prabath said.

However, a few weeks later, Prabath and his family contracted Covid-19 and Denagama Siriwardena and his wife Kusum Kodithuwakku were provided accommodation in a nearby hotel for their safety. Close friends of the family took care of them.

The three weeks Denagama Siriwardena spent cooped up in the hotel room allowed him to write a significant portion of his autobiography. However, it took three years for him to complete it.

“Despite writing around 200 books, this was the book he liked writing the least. This is the book he took the longest to write. And of his books, this is the best I’ve read,” Prabath said.

He went on to share memories of his father, saying Denagama Siriwardena was a man who led by example instead of explicitly teaching his children right and wrong.

“A turning point in my father’s writing career was meeting S.G. Punchihewa, after which many memorable characters were born,” Prabath said of his father’s literary work. “Just like his readers, we too, learnt about life from his writing. The characters in his books were heroes to us. He didn’t create heroes. Instead, what he did was bring up the heroes who were hiding in plain sight.”

Prabath pointed out that he couldn’t talk about his father without mentioning his mother. Never has a heated word been exchanged between them, he said, adding that she was always his first reader, even suggesting changes to his work – suggestions he often agreed with.

“Today, my mother can’t read ‘Denagama Watha’. Her eyesight is too weak. And so, my father read this 600-plus page book to her,” Prabath said.

Denagama Siriwardena’s interests weren’t limited to literature and writing. He was also interested in politics, which his wife supported, even though it cost him a job. Today, his life and interests lean towards the spiritual.

A life worth reading about

Among the people who took the stage to share thoughts about ‘Denagama Watha’ and its author was Prof. Praneeth Abyesundara. He spoke about the benefits of reading a book such as Siriwardena’s autobiography, praising the author and his influential work over the years.

He added that he was first introduced to Siriwardena through his books, contributions to newspapers and magazines, as well as the movies based on his work. “We taught students about them,” Prof. Abeysundara shared.

National Library and Documentation Services Board Chair Dr. Rathna Sri Wijesinghe also first met Denagama Siriwardena through his work. This was in 1967, when Dr. Wijesinghe was still schooling. It was Siriwardena’s poetry that captured Dr. Wijesinghe’s interest, which was published in newspapers and later recited during a radio programme on poetry.

Dr. Wijesinghe read various poems by Siriwardena at the launch of ‘Denagama Watha’, while also sharing treasured memories from their years of knowing each other. He explained that Siriwardena’s books cover a range of themes and genres, with many colourful and great characters, and added that the author wrote for adults, youth, and children.

Focusing on his children’s literature, Dr. Wijesinghe pointed out that Siriwardena expertly nurtured a love for literature among children. His work as a teacher influenced this, and his work reflected William McDougall’s theory of instinct as well as Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. This added value to Siriwardena’s work.

While admitting that he couldn’t complete reading the autobiography before the launch, Dr. Wijesinghe said Siriwardena’s story was familiar to him due to their association over the years. Similar thoughts were shared by author Kamal Perera, who also addressed the gathering.