‘Enlightened’ retells the story of the Buddha

• Sachi Ediriweera on his latest work, releasing on 26 Sept.

Sachi Ediriweera is an award-winning designer, former filmmaker turned comics writer, and artist. Lionborn, launched at Lanka Comic Con in 2016, was not only his first graphic novel but also the first English graphic novel created by a Sri Lankan. Sachi’s art, inspired by Sri Lankan culture, has also been received well and has gained him a following on social media over the years.

“I specialise in creating brand experiences at my day job and when it comes to pursuing my passions, I enjoy writing and drawing stories,” Sachi said.

His latest graphic novel Enlightened, in which a spirited young prince longing to learn more about the world grows into a man on a quest to find the cause of human suffering, will be going on sale on 26 September. Enlightened is described as a first-of-its-kind graphic novel retelling of the life of Siddhartha, the founder of Buddhism.

As readers not just in Sri Lanka but across the globe look forward to the latest from Sachi, The Daily Morning Brunch had the opportunity of chatting with him about his latest work and the art of this particular form of storytelling.

The path to ‘Lionborn’

When asked what drew him to graphic novels, Sachi shared that he was a huge fan of comics even as a child. “I remember looking out for the Sunday newspapers to read syndicated cartoon strips like Garfield and Blondie. And eventually, I started reading any comics that I could get my hands on. I was also interested in a career in design and filmmaking as a teenager, with the latter being the reason I began studying scriptwriting on my own. This led me to explore digital illustration as well.”

During his early twenties, Sachi started posting digital art online regularly and was encouraged by his friends to try making a comic. “Once I gave the idea serious thought, it flowed on from there. My first graphic novel took me around two and a half years to make because it was a learning process for me as well,” he recalled.

In terms of the interest in local graphic novels in Sri Lanka, Sachi explained that considering how comic books like Asterix and Tintin have always been popular, it was fair to say the interest for comics has always been there. “However, the obvious gap is the lack of access to a wider range of comics and graphic novels, and even if imported, how expensive those books can be. Lionborn was a turning point for many because it was the first Sri Lankan comic that tackled a local subject in a modern format.”

He added that the response was overwhelming at Lanka Comic Con, with many young creators approaching him to say that it had inspired them to make their own comics.

Sachi noted that the appreciation for comics and graphic novels is more noticeable with the younger generation of readers and authors, but added that there is still a long way to go. “Even in the western world, comics weren’t accepted as a serious literary medium until the 80s. Graphic novels like Watchmen, Persepolis, and the Pulitzer Prize winning Maus completely changed that perception. Perhaps in time, when more local authors decide to try out the medium, we might see that shift locally as well,” he said.

Creating a graphic novel

Graphic novels may not appeal to all readers; however, the combination of the written word with art has a considerable readership around the globe. We asked Sachi what goes into creating a graphic novel and telling stories in this format.

“Graphic novels are a visual medium. Just as any other literary work, the story-crafting process begins with the written word, but there’s emphasis and a challenge to think visually as well. There’s a misconception that writing comics is similar to writing movie or TV scripts as they are both visually driven, but the reality is there are many tools that are unique to comics which completely sets it apart,” he explained.

Sachi added that creating comics also requires teamwork, and that it is the industry norm to have 2-3 creators – although, in some cases, up to five – working on the same book, each with a unique role.

In the traditional sense, the writer and artist are the two biggest roles in creating a graphic novel, Sachi shared. However, even the artist’s output can vary. “You might see an artist who handles everything, from line art to final colours. But it’s more common to see artists who only do line art and have a comic colourist do colours.”

Sachi went on to say: “The role of a colourist is one of my favourites in the industry as just like art styles, colourists tend to have their own colouring styles as well.”

There are also letterers involved, which Sachi described as more of a technical role as they are tasked with adding speech bubbles and text to the final art, as well as editors and assistant editors.

A unique story on the origins of Buddhism

Enlightened is Sachi’s third graphic novel, with his second, Wayfinder published in 2020, but his first to be published by an international publisher, Atheneum. Enlightened will be available worldwide through all major bookstores and can also be purchased digitally.

“The book adapts the story of the Buddha and readers will get to learn about the origins of Buddhism in a unique way. The story covers Prince Siddhartha’s early years, his journey in search of answers, and his return to his home city after being enlightened. If you’re a reader interested in a new take of a well-known, familiar story, this book is for you,” is how Sachi described it.

When asked what made him want to retell the life of Siddhartha, especially in the form of a graphic novel, Sachi explained that Siddhartha’s journey from a prince who had everything to abandoning them all to go on a journey in search of answers fascinated him ever since he first encountered it in Sunday school.

“When the world came to a halt during the 2020 pandemic, I was confined to my apartment like many others and began exploring story ideas for a new graphic novel. Adapting the Buddha’s story wasn’t my first thought, but the storytelling possibilities, both written and visual, were appealing to me. Once I began outlining the story, I knew I wanted to approach it as a grounded character study. Two and a half years later, here we are.”

In terms of how fact versus artistic licence come into play in Enlightened, Sachi explained that the written texts about the Buddha we encounter today largely originated approximately 400 years after his passing away. Since then, countless authors have analysed, interpreted, and retranslated those texts in numerous mediums including scripts, novels, and film.

“It’s also important to accept the fact that the original texts had its own flair of artistic licence added in as well. When I began working on Enlightened, my goal was to create a story that was appealing and grounded while staying true to the core mythos as much as possible. It was always going to be a balancing act and I’m sure there will be points of discussion based on certain story decisions I made,” he went on to say.

Sachi added: “But ultimately, if the book creates enough intrigue for a reader to learn more about the Buddha and his teachings elsewhere, I’d consider that a win.”

Enlightened took Sachi close to two-and-a-half years to make, and so, he said, he wasn’t necessarily in a rush to jump on another project. However, he shared that he has been exploring other story ideas and that time will tell which one appeals to him enough to be developed as a full graphic novel.