• Ranoukh Wijesinha on memory, form, and ‘Our Teardrop’

There is a particular kind of first book that feels less like a beginning and more like a return. Ranoukh Wijesinha’s ‘Our Teardrop’ sits in that space. 

Built out of a university dissertation but shaped by years of writing before and after it, the collection moves between personal memory and national history, using Sri Lanka as both subject and anchor. 

For Ranoukh, publishing his first book was never a distant ambition. It was something he had been working towards with intent, long before ‘Our Teardrop’ came into being as a finished object. 

“I had been working towards it during my degree,” he said. “I studied Creative Writing and English Language at the University of Nottingham, and the plan was always to eventually publish a book.”

That sense of direction carries through in the book itself. What began as a university dissertation has since expanded into a layered collection that moves between poetry, short fiction, and personal reflection. At its centre sits Sri Lanka, not as a backdrop, but as the organising force of the work.

A book shaped by form and feeling

‘Our Teardrop’ is, primarily, a book of poetry. But it resists sitting within a single mode. The collection includes two short stories and a vignette, and within the poetry itself, Ranoukh works across a range of forms.

“It started as my dissertation,” Ranoukh shared. “At first it was about 10 poems, all in different styles. The whole idea was to have one theme, but with each piece written in a different form.”

That early structure remains visible in the final book. Sonnets sit alongside freer verse. Some pieces are tightly constructed, others more instinctive. What holds them together is not form, but subject.

“‘Our Teardrop’ is about Sri Lanka,” he said simply. “It focuses on everything the country has been through over the years, all the tough times, and also includes some fictional elements in the short stories. It’s also about the Sri Lanka and Colombo I grew up in, and my own memories.”

The personal and the collective move in parallel. There are moments that feel rooted in observation, and others that carry the weight of inherited history.

“I always knew my first publication would be about Sri Lanka because of the memories it has given me,” he added.

The book itself reflects that layering of time. Some pieces were written in his late teens, while others came later, as part of the dissertation and its expansion into a full collection. “Altogether, it took just over a year,” he said.

Returning, rewriting, refining

If the concept of the book was structured, the writing process itself was less rigid. “I knew what parts of the country I wanted to speak about, and what poems I needed for each aspect,” Ranoukh said. “But most of it was about writing what I felt in the moment.”

Interestingly, his process relies as much on stepping away as it does on writing. “Usually I write a poem, then go to the next one, and come back a few weeks later with a new perspective,” he explained. “I change it or cut it sometimes. That’s generally the process. Writing what you feel in the moment, and then coming back to it later.”

The result is a collection that carries both instinct and control. There is a sense of emotional clarity, but also an awareness of structure, shaped in part by his academic training.

That relationship to writing continues in his day-to-day life. Ranoukh currently teaches English and English Literature at S. Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia, his alma mater.

“It’s been a different experience,” he said. “I’ve been teaching for a couple of years now. But at the same time, being a younger teacher, it’s easier to relate to students and understand what they’re going through.”

Writing for memory, writing for others

At its core, ‘Our Teardrop’ is a book shaped by the audience, even as it remains personal. Ranoukh is clear about what he hopes readers will take from it, though he recognises that this will shift depending on who is reading.

“If you’re Sri Lankan, I hope it gives you nostalgia,” he said. “A sense of pride in your country and everything you’ve been through. And how unique our country is as an island, from the flora and fauna to everyday life.”

For readers outside Sri Lanka, the intention is different. “If you’re a foreigner, I hope it makes you want to come here and experience Sri Lanka, and gives some exposure to what this country is about.”

That awareness of readership extends into how he thinks about writing more broadly. “One piece of advice I would always give is, if you feel something is important to you, you should write it down,” he said. “At the same time, you’re catering to an audience, so make sure it relates to other people.”

For him, the balance lies in honesty. “The most important thing about writing is being honest, about what you’re writing and about yourself,” he said. “Never change for anyone else. Stay true to yourself.”

And then, simply, consistency. “Never stop trying. Just keep writing. As you write, you learn more about yourself.”

It is a straightforward approach, but one that aligns closely with the book he has produced. ‘Our Teardrop’ does not attempt to overstate its ambitions. Instead, it builds from a clear premise, a defined subject, and a commitment to exploring both with care.

The result is a debut that feels considered without being overworked, personal without becoming insular, and rooted in a place that continues to shape its writer.

Info box

Ranoukh Wijesinha’s ‘Our Teardrop’ is now available for purchase at Jam Fruit Tree Publications, Vijitha Yapa Bookshops, and online at Kobo. It will also be available at Sarasavi, other leading bookshops, and on Amazon Books from May