Lost in Floral Rain

Thursday, December 28, 2023

LOST IN FLORAL RAIN – Reviewed by Anne Ferguson

As a former English teacher, it brings me great joy when someone has the courage to explore their style of writing and experiment with what they discover. Even more courageous is the decision to publish and hold that style up to those who choose to read it. In this case, I feel that the reader of ‘Lost in Floral Rain’ written by Pushpa Suriyaarachi is the one who is rewarded. There are new pieces of information to be gleaned; there are little pieces of poetry to be reflected on; there is a type of travelogue, there is a glimpse into family life through the main character, Kusum, and we are invited to accompany her on parts of her life journey.

I began reading this story knowing very little about Sri Lanka - its society and culture. In short episodes I learnt about aspects of the political situation, particularly of the 1970’s, that were starkly different to what we know as Australians. Pushpa used vivid colour to illustrate tension and victory. I felt, even though the situation was so different from anything I have ever experienced, the frustration of those who were part of it. I also learnt and came to appreciate family traditions and ways of being that helped me understand why things are as they are, even today. I realized how precious education is for those who have the opportunities to pursue it.

The author is insistent that this is not an autobiography – it is a gathering of memories of her time living with family and friends in Sri Lanka. Yet the reader, knowing Pushpa, automatically imagine that Kusum’s description of her university experience is very close to Pushpa’s own student experience. Kusum is passionate, committed, compassionate, an excellent student, successful, a person of integrity. Anyone who comes into Pushpa’s orbit of care would know that this is an exact replica of who Pushpa is as a practicing doctor in Australia.

Lost in Floral Rain is a tribute to Pushpa’s courage, something that is clearly evident throughout the book. She is not confined by writing a ‘book’ – she has a freedom to experiment with memoir, travelogue, poetry, ‘autobiography’, memoir – and she is prepared to publish so that others might benefit through the charity she supports, "Project Home Owl". Through this project, some university students are given tablets to access the necessary textbooks and to facilitate home learning. This is so true to the theme of this book.

I am grateful that I was given the opportunity to read this book. It is a little gem!

Anne Ferguson

Copies of "Lost in Floral Rain" are available for sale in Australia and those who are willing to purchase a copy are kindly requested to refer to information given in the following location: https://lostinfloralrain.blogspot.com/2023/05/how-to-buy-copy-of-lost-in-floral-rain.html

All revenue raised from the sale of "Lost in Floral rain" will be used for the charity named "Project Home Owl". For details of "Project Home Owl" charity please visit: https://lostinfloralrain.blogspot.com/2019/05/introducing-project-home-owl-charity.html

For details contact: pushpa.suriyaarachchi@yahoo.com.au.

Wednesday, December 27, 2023

A petal-like reading experience - Review by Professor Kamani Jayasekera

The name of the book itself professes the nature of the read. Floral rain in the local colloquial expression is a ‘mal vessak’. The experience is similar to petals that fall from the sky, on auspicious occasions for good luck. The mild colours and the scent soothe one's nerves. - Nothing to disturb but pleasant and encouraging.

For me personally, I feel a special empathy because I too have experienced the same political and social background. Maybe, though unfortunately something particular in our own country, Sri Lanka. Elections and the post-election violence that is most of the time inevitable. The reader is never kept in ignorance of what the main character had felt.

The story runs similar to an autobiography. At times there are incidents that flash a psychological insight almost unintentionally on the part of the author. They are described in simple m language in a simple manner but obviously affect the minds of the readership. They are automatically reactions of a girl child of a certain social background. At various stages of her life - like petals in the wind having fallen from the stem.

The following are some examples.

The verbal abuse in the rows that occur in shanties on the other side of the wall. She excited to watch having climbed a tree for the purpose!

The election, the manner publicity is sought, and the post-election fever she finds it difficult to comprehend. She is so terrified that she is compelled to take refuge under a bed when her house is pelted with stones.

The feelings aroused as a sensitive novice at the university at the reception by seniors is thought-provoking. The abusive words used by them shocks her more than the practicals in the anatomy class.

Uncertainty of feelings before the attraction of the opposite sex is handled well with discipline, the young lady had been hitherto groomed with.

The excitement of the final pap of a medical student which is the experience dampened by the curt attitude by the professor to put her in place! Yet the exception she receives as a kind lady by the sick becomes her reward.

The above are only selections from the incidents recorded which proves a deeply sensitive mind and a warm heart.

Nature of friendships, how newcomers are initiated into the fraternity, political protests their nature, romance had made the book interesting, startling one out of convictions making one question his beliefs.

The ending is not of a dues ex-machina.it ends without disturbing one’s mind as expected on a positive note convincingly. The fact makes one wish that she may present them with a sequel.

The comment on the novel is not complete unless one notices the manner of narration. The novel is a collection of short incidents that may be appreciated as individual pieces.

The many incidents are separate. Yet they essentially run together which makes it unity in diversity. One may enjoy one chapter at a time while another may read it as a complete whole.

The diverse incidents have a different style and taste. The simple verses that she had used before starting various chapters serve as an introduction, which does and at times does not sum up the essence.

Published in: https://archives1.dailynews.lk/2019/07/17/tc/191278/petal-reading-experience

Kamani Jayasekera,
Senior Professor
Department of Western Classical Culture and Christian Culture
University of Kelaniya
Sri Lanka.

Wednesday, May 24, 2023

Donation of eight (08) tablet devices for needy medical students at University of Peradeniya

Thanks to the generous support we have received from well-wishers, this year we were able to continue helping the needy students of the Faculty of Medicine, university of Peradeniya.

At a simple ceremony held at the student common room of the medical faculty on 5 March, 2023, eight (08) Samsung Galaxy Tablets were handed over to Professor Vasanthi Pinto, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and student representatives.

These Samsung tablets were purchased at a net (purchase price minus the tax rebate) cost of Aus$ 1,665.45 in Australia.

These tablet devices will be distributed to students with significant financial difficulties as identified by the scholarship committee of the faculty.

My sincere appreciation goes to Professor Vasanthi Pinto, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and to Professor Shamali Abeygunawardene, Chairperson of the scholarship committee.

This donation was made possible through the generous contributions made to the “Project Home Owl” fund by well wishers and those who purchased copies of the second print of my novel “Lost in Floral Rain”. My sincere thanks to each and every one of you!

The second print was released in October 2022 in Sydney, Australia at the 7th PeMSAA Australasia Conference.

I would thank the executive committee of Peradeniya Medical School Alumni Association (PeMSAA) Australasia for allowing me to have a stall at the conference and the members of PeMSAA who generously supported “Project Home Owl” by making generous contributions. I would also like to greatly value the generosity and support of Dr Nimmi Athuraliya, esteemed lecturer at the faculty during my time there and a conjoint lecturer at University of Newcastle.

Please contribute to this project through purchasing a copy of the novel "Lost in Floral Rain".

Copies from the second print are available for sale in Australia. Those who are willing to purchase a copy are kindly requested to refer to information given in the following location: https://lostinfloralrain.blogspot.com/2023/05/how-to-buy-copy-of-lost-in-floral-rain.html

All revenue raised from the sale of "Lost in Floral rain" will be used for the charity named "Project Home Owl". For details of "Project Home Owl" charity please visit: https://lostinfloralrain.blogspot.com/2019/05/introducing-project-home-owl-charity.html

For details contact: pushpa.suriyaarachchi@yahoo.com.au.

Thanking you.

- Pushpa Suriyaarachchi

P/S:
Previous donations made using the funds raised for “Project Home Owl” by selling the copies of the novel “Lost in Floral Rain” are given in the posts below.

In 2019/20: Donation of ten sets of text books for students (with financial difficulties) of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya and English readers for school aged-kids.
For details please see: https://lostinfloralrain.blogspot.com/2020/03/project-home-owl-update.html

In April 2021: Donation ten (10) Samsung Galaxy tablets for the students (with financial difficulties) of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya in April 2021. The total value of this donation was Rs. 329,900.
For details please see: https://lostinfloralrain.blogspot.com/2021/09/project-home-owl-update-2021.html

As the world is emerging through the covid pandemic, the aftereffects of the financial downturn is felt throughout the globe. In Australia we have seen the inflationary pressure fuelling the rental prices and its effect on goods and services.

In Sri Lanka, the financial downturn had devastating effects with the day day-to-day living expenses skyrocketing.

I had a discussion with Professor Shamali Abeygunawardene, the chairperson of the scholarship committee of Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya, who is tremendously passionate about student welfare. She provided feedback received from the previous donations and how the students have valued receiving tablet devises as they can access multitude of learning material and resources using them without having to carry heavy textbooks.

Wednesday, May 17, 2023

Second Print of the novel “Lost in Floral Rain”

All the copies of the novel “Lost in Floral Rain” available for sale in Sarasavi bookshops in Sri Lanka since April 2019 were sold out by 2020. All copies I had with me in Australia were given out to well-wishers to raise funds for the charity “Project Home Owl” as well.

The money raised from the proceeds were used for the following charity work.

In 2019/20: Donation of ten sets of text books for students (with financial difficulties) of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya and English readers for school aged-kids.
For details please see: https://lostinfloralrain.blogspot.com/2020/03/project-home-owl-update.html

In April 2021: Donation ten (10) Samsung Galaxy tablets for the students (with financial difficulties) of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya in April 2021. The total value of this donation was Rs. 329,900.
For details please see: https://lostinfloralrain.blogspot.com/2021/09/project-home-owl-update-2021.html

Even though there were no copies of “Lost in Floral Rain” were available, we were not able to get a second print out immediately due to Covid related issues since 2020.

As we are well aware, at the end of the second phase of Covid in early 2022, Sri Lanka underwent a monitory crisis resulting in a severe shortage of printing paper. Our publisher was not in a position to print the second batch of copies immediately.

Despite all these, I am delighted to inform that a second batch of “Lost in Floral Rain” was printed and released by Sarasavi Book shop in late 2022.

However, due to high cost of printing and the lack of printing paper in Sri Lanka, this second batch was printed as a standard paperback edition instead of the hard cover and flip-cover editions we had with the first print.

This second print of “Lost in Floral Rain” was released at the Peradeniya Medical School Alumni Association (PeMSA) conference held in Sydney in October 2022.

Furthermore, only a limited number of copies were printed and therefore the book is not available for sale in bookshops in Sri Lanka.

Copies are available for sale in Australia and those who are willing to purchase a copy are kindly requested to refer to information given in the following location: https://lostinfloralrain.blogspot.com/2023/05/how-to-buy-copy-of-lost-in-floral-rain.html

All revenue raised from the sale of "Lost in Floral rain" will be used for the charity named "Project Home Owl". For details of "Project Home Owl" charity please visit: https://lostinfloralrain.blogspot.com/2019/05/introducing-project-home-owl-charity.html

For details contact: pushpa.suriyaarachchi@yahoo.com.au.

Thanking you.

-Pushpa Suriyaarachchi

How to buy a copy of "Lost in Floral Rain" by Pushpa Suriyaarachchi – Second print

All revenue raised from the sale of "Lost in Floral rain" will be used for the charity named "Project Home Owl".

Copies of the second print of "Lost in Floral Rain" is now available for sale in Australia.

Here is how you can secure your copy and help the charity "Project Home Owl".

Please transfer A$25 to the Commonwealth Bank account setup for "Project Home Owl" charity given below and email the details of your order and the postal address in Australia to: pushpa.suriyaarachchi@yahoo.com.au.

When you are mail ordering, you have the option of adding an extra donation for the charity "Project Home Owl" as well.

BSB: 06 2692
Account: 3749 9876
Name: Pushpa Suriyaarachchi

We will post you a copy of "Lost in Floral Rain" within a few days by Australia post (or home deliver to your address).

All money raised by selling copies of "Lost in Floral Rain" and donations will be exclusively used for the charity "Project Home Owl".

For details contact: pushpa.suriyaarachchi@yahoo.com.au.

Thanking you.

- Pushpa Suriyaarachchi

A Sinhala language song inspired by the novel “Lost in Floral Rain”

A new song inspired by the novel "Lost in Floral Rain” has been released.

Lyrics: Pushpa Suriyaarachchi, the author of “Lost in Floral Rain”
Melody and music: Visharad Rukmalie Kulathilake

Vocals: Ruvee Nimnadi

Ochestra
Violin: Ravi Kulathilaka
Guitar: Arjuna de Silva
Drums: Dinesh Perera

Please enjoy the video clip on YouTube.

තුරුලිය සරසන කුසුමින් නැහැවුණ
රෝස පාට මල් වැසි වැස්සා
රොබරොසියා තුරු පාමුල මල් වැසි
මල් වැසි, මල් වැසි, ඇද හැලුණා

ශිල්ප කරන්නට නවකයින් ඇවිත්
මල් වැස්සේ මංමුළා වෙලා
පාද තබා කඩිසර ගමනින්
මල් වරුසාවේ සිනාසෙමින්
මල් වැස්සේ මංමුළා වෙලා

මල් පිරි පාවඩ පලස් එළාලා
සුමට සුමුදු මල් ඇතිරිල්ලේ
සෙමින් සෙමින් පරිස්සමින්
ඇවිද ඇවිද යමු සිතින් දරාගෙන
රොබරොසියා මල් මල් සිහිනේ

Copies from the second print of the novel "Lost in Floral Rain" are available for sale in Australia. Those who are willing to purchase a copy are kindly requested to refer to information given in the following location: https://lostinfloralrain.blogspot.com/2023/05/how-to-buy-copy-of-lost-in-floral-rain.html

All revenue raised from the sale of "Lost in Floral rain" will be used for the charity named "Project Home Owl". For details of "Project Home Owl" charity please visit: https://lostinfloralrain.blogspot.com/2019/05/introducing-project-home-owl-charity.html

For details contact: pushpa.suriyaarachchi@yahoo.com.au.

Thanking you,

-Pushpa Suriyaarachchi

Two renditions of the English language song "Floral Rain", released in 2019, can be listend via YouTube as well.

Sung by Prasadini Thirumaran.
Music from Alexander Blu.
Lyrics by Pushpa Suriyaarachchi.

Music composed and sung by Carlos Reyes.
Lyrics by Pushpa Suriyaarachchi.

Sunday, September 12, 2021

Project Home Owl – Update - 2021

Good day from Sydney!

The world has experienced the devastation of Covid-19 since my last update. No country was spared by this pandemic and the lengthy lock downs have resulted in closure of schools and universities for indefinite periods of time. There has been a great transformation to remote teaching and home learning to maintain the education for primary, secondary, and tertiary educational institutions.

This year we have acknowledged this change in our "Project Home Owl" donations.

Our donation to University of Peradeniya consisted of ten (10) Samsung Galaxy tablets for the students to access the necessary textbooks and to facilitate home learning.

This donation was made at the start of the new academic year at University of Peradeniya, Faculty of Medicine in May 2021. My sincere appreciation goes to the Dean, Faculty of Medicine, Professor Asiri Abeygunawardena and to the chairman of the scholarship committee, Professor Sanjaya Adikari. The ten Samsung Galaxy tablets were distributed to the students with greatest financial difficulties.

The total outlay of this donation was Rs. 329,900.

I would like to acknowledge the generous contributions, donations at the book launches and your contributions to this project by purchasing my novel “Lost in Floral Rain”. Your contributions have made this project a success. A big thank you to each and everyone of you for your kind generosity.

-Pushpa Suriyaarachchi, Author of “Lost in Floral Rain”

Thursday, September 9, 2021

Subhashini Jayatilake reviews "Lost in Floral Rain"

An extremely powerful story of a young girl and her journey from her pre-primary school days through to medical faculty of university of Peradeniya.

I got the chills so many times in the beginning of the book as it resonates so much with me and my early life before going to school. I used to go to my amma’s school like Kusum, and the food shared in the staff room was completely a feast to me as explained in the book.

This storyline of yours bringing back the bitter-sweet memories of how the zoology laboratory looks when we did the first practical lesson dissecting ‘Bufo Melanostictus’ the goose bumps the whole bio class equally had! I remember our zoology teacher used to say ‘be a doctor one day and get rid of all these demerits, you are doing this for a good cause’, I could not go that far, but Kusum achieved what she wanted in the end so did the author.

You have a very rich vocabulary which I have noticed while reading the book describing complexed situations in a very simple way where you could yet attract readers’ attention while the reader becomes inquisitive to read the next chapter. My view is that it is a great characteristic of a great book.

The political revolution in the seventies in our country is something that we always heard while growing up associated with riots, youth unrest, the punishment transfers for innocent government workers etc. Your attempt to describe the frustration of general public was surprisingly successful and it’s an eye opener for a reader today I believe. Most importantly the trauma those two young girls went through must have been something common in the families during that era in our country.

Initially thought a poetic verse to begin each chapter is not appropriate as I see myself more into poetry and stuck in my own thoughts whether poetry and novels are two different lines of writing. However towards the end I was longing to see the next poetic expression of yours before reading the chapter and eventually got used to your new style! I guess the creativity can go hand in in any form and you have demonstrated that very well in this book.

This is your debut novel, but seen so much maturity in it with complete control of the story. Congratulations on publishing and surely so much effort gone in!

Looking forward to see the Lost in Floral rain 2, any hope?

Subhashini Jayatilake
Author: ‘Seya Sankalpana’

Thursday, October 8, 2020

List of reviews of "Lost in Floral Rain"

Saturday, March 21, 2020

Project Home Owl – Update

Good day! Best wishes from Sydney, Australia.

Firstly, I would like to offer my heartfelt gratitude to all who contributed to my “Project Home Owl” in numerous ways.

As you all know, I made a firm commitment to use all proceedings from the sale of my first novel “Lost in Floral Rain” (Sarasavi, 2019, ISBN: 978-955-31-1451-8) to “Project Home Owl” initiative. “Project Home Owl” is a charity project with two main objectives, ie, to donate prescribed text books to first year medical students at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya and to donate English language readers for primary school children in government schools in under-privileged areas in Sri Lanka.

I would like to acknowledge the generous contributions/ donations towards “Project Home Owl” by those who attended the book launch events held in Sri Lanka and in Sydney Australia (Hawkesbury Hospital, Minchinbury Community Hospital, Beaumont Hills Community Centre and Nepean Hospital) and those who purchased books online.
I would now like to outline what we have achieved through “Project Home Owl” so far.

Books donated to Peradeniya Medical Students

The new academic year at University of Peradeniya started in October 2019. Fourteen first year students with financial difficulties were selected by the academic staff of Faculty of Medicine to receive the textbooks. My sincere appreciation to Dr Sulochana Wijetunge and Prof Asiri Abeygunawardena, for making this project a success.
Ten copies each of the following three prescribed textbooks were donated.

Last's Anatomy
Ganong's Review of Medical Physiology
Lippincott Illustrated review in Biochemistry

Books were purchased from Sarasavi Bookshop (Anatomy and Biochemistry) and from Jeya Bookshop (Medical Physiology). The total cost of the above donation was Rs 114,500 (including courier charges).

A letter sent by Professor Asiri Abeyagunawardena, Dean, Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya.

We are planning to make a similar donation this year as well.

Books donated to school children

A collection of about 40 English readers for children were donated to Rajasinghe Primary School, Bope, Ingiriya. The total cost of the donation (including delivery) was Rs 5,750.
A collection of about 50 English readers for children were donated to Hobariyawa Primary School in Girandurukotte. The total cost of the donation (including delivery) was Rs 11,651.50. This donation was facilitated by award winning author Nissanka Wijemanna.
A collection of about 35 English readers for children were donated to Paramankada Primary School, Madolsima, Passara via Hands for Hope organisation in Sri Lanka (contact person: Madhawa Wijesinghe). The total cost of the donation (including delivery) was Rs 6,190. The organiser later informed us that the donation will go to a different school in Mahiyanganaya area.
A sum of $100 was donated to provide school bags for under-privileged primary school children in Badulla district. This donation was facilitated by Nini Seneviratne, a schoolteacher from Bandarawela.
We have also made arrangements to donate 37 English readers to the library of Siyapatha Children’s Club in Negombo area. The total cost of this donation was Rs 7,276.70.

Thank you.

-Pushpa Suriyaarachchi

Monday, March 9, 2020

“Lost in Floral Rain” - Reviewed by Don Ubeyasiri Wijeyananda Wickrama, PhD

Pushpa Suriyaarachchi’s eco-centric novel “Lost in Floral Rain”

The above work of art, which is a narrative fiction, is essentially based on the biographical resonance of the author. Though biographic in semantic structure it possesses an eco-centric element overwhelmed with the aesthetic presence that links “lively blooming Jacaranda flowers of Sydney” with “torrential monsoon weather” and “Robarosiya pink flowers” of the University Park at Peradeniya.

The highlight of the language usage by the author is amplified by the relevant use of imagery, both visual and tactile portrayed eloquently.

“I move from one class to another, following her, holding on to the end of this ‘throw’, draped over her shoulder…..” (page 17).

“A gush of rainwater hits me right in the face. It is icy cold….” (page 9).

“The raindrops tumble down on to the ground and break into fine droplets, scattering in all directions….An army of frogs is performing a croaking symphony celebrating the rain.” (page 11).

The author’s forceful insight and mindful observation has inevitably resulted in a keen display of minute details so as to create an authentic and realistic picture.

“The front of the line of houses is in my view. This is where the children play. There are about twenty children of different ages. They go around and around in circles or play hopscotch while their mothers watch them, washing the cooking pots or chatting with each other. The dogs go around sniffing for food. There is a little girl with long platted hair and round face who has seen me looking at them playing. When she looks up, I have waved at her a few times. Now she always looks for me…” (page 23).

There are many instances in the narrative that are similar to the example cited above, that create a vivid atmosphere before the enthusiastic reader.

The cluster of poems at the prelude, dialogues and prose content enriches the narrative fiction to a status of a novel, with distinct techniques and character development. The inclusion of Sinhala folk poem and a translation of a contemporary Sinhala poem describing the major rivers of Sri Lanka gives an additional impetus to its literary validity.

When considering the specific literary techniques used by the author, we observe that the descriptive narrative is coherently interspersed with dialogue to keep the story moving and to keep the reader’s attention piqued. Further, there is a mosaic of scenes, sometimes not chronologically placed, allowing the process of suspense, thereby leading the reader to gain a sense of mystery amongst the cadence.

The character development in this fiction pivots around “Kusum”, literally meaning a flower in Sinhala and her family. While the relatable strength of the novel lies in the realistic portrayal of major characters from childhood to adult professional status, the backdrop of picturesque Nuwara-Eliya presented by the author, elevates its authenticity.

An in depth appreciation of this work of art reveals the socio-cultural economic and political fabric of Sri Lanka in the 1970’s and 1980’s. None the less, it is reminiscent for all persons of Sri Lankan origin living overseas. Incidentally, the intuitive behaviour of characters emerge in the vicinity of tea plantations where the innocence of childhood is highlighted irrespective of socio-ethnic diversity. The English educated middle class sensibility and value system prevalent in Sri Lanka is symbolised by the reference to popular English nursery rhyme- “rain rain go away, come again another day” and “Alice in Wonderland”.

In conclusion it is worthwhile stating that ecology is not merely a background but an integral part of the theme that evolves throughout the fiction.

The author deserves our congratulations and encouragement for her skilful devotion to produce this valuable work of art and wish her all the best in her future literary endeavours.

Dr Ubeyasiri Wijeyananda Wickrama

(This review is based on the speech made by Dr Wickrama at the book launch ceremony held in Sydney, Australia on 14 July 2019).

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Malee Dissanayake's review of "Lost in Floral Rain"

Malee Dissanayake's review of "Lost in Floral Rain"

I have just finished reading ‘Lost in Floral Rain’, the first novel written by Mrs. Pushpa Suriyarachchi. Written in simple, easy-to-understand English language, this book perfectly illustrates her ability to establish as a novelist.

The language that Pushpa has chosen to write her first novel will give a glimpse of the social environment and our upbringing in Sri Lanka to a wider audience. What impressed me most was that our son, who was born and brought up in Australia, could enjoy reading it.

When reading the protagonist Kusum’s childhood, it brought many happy memories of my childhood as I felt it as my own childhood. With this feeling, I was more and more motivated to read the book and curious to find out what would happen next. I see this as a unique talent of Pushpa in writing novels. She has been able to use the social and political background of the country appropriately in the novel. The stunning cover, the name of the story, and the drawing on the inner pages help to elevate the story.

I wish you all the best and hope to read more of your creations in near future.

පුෂ්පා සූරියාරච්චි මහත්මියගේ කුළුඳුල් නව කතාව ‘Lost in Floral Rain’ එක හුස්මට කියවා අවසන් කළෙමි. ඉතා සරල, සුගම ඉංගිරිසි බසින් ලියැවුන මෙම කෘතිය, නවකතා කරණයේ ස්ථාවරත්වයක් ගොඩනගා ගැනීමට ඇයට ඇති හැකියාව මැනවින් පිළිබිඹු කරයි.

පුෂ්පා තමාගේ කුළුඳුල් නවකතාව පාඨකයා වෙත ගෙන ඒමට තෝරා ගත් භාෂාව නිසා පුළුල් පාඨක පිරිසකට එය කියවා රසවිඳිමට ඉඩ ප්රස්ථාව ලැබෙන අතර අන්ය ජාතික පාඨකයෙකුට මෙන්ම මෙහි හැදී වැඩෙන අපේ දරුවකුට වුව මේ පොත කියවීමෙන් සිරිලක සමාජ වටපිටාව සහ අපේ හැදියාව ගැන කිසියම් දැනුමක් ලබා ගැනීමට ඉඩ හසර ලැබේ. මා වඩාත් සිත් ගත් කරුණක් වූයේ එම පොත මෙරට ඉපදී හැදී වැඩෙන අපේ පුතාටත් කියවා රස විඳීමට හැකිවීමයි.

කතාවේ ප්රධාන චරිතයට පන පොවන කුසුම්ගේ බාල විය මා ගෙවූ ළමා විය මෙන්ම නොවන්නේදැයි මට සිතුනි. මේ අත්දැකීම් මගේම යැයි දැනෙද්දී ඊලඟට කතාවේ සිදුවන්නේ කුමක් දැයි දැනගැනීමට මසිත තුල වැඩුනු කුතුහලය පොත කියවීමට මා වඩාත් පොලඹවන සුලු විය. එය නිර්මාණ කරණයට ඇය දැක්වූ සුවිශේෂී දක්ෂතාවයක් ලෙස මම දකිමි.

රටේ සමාජයීය හා දේශපාලනික පසුබිම කතාවට සමගාමීව ඉතා උචිත ලෙසින් සුදුසු තැන්හිදී ඈඳා ගැනීමට ඇය සමත් වී ඇත. දැකුම්කළු පිට කවරයත්, කතාවේ නමත්, ඇතුල් පිටුවල ඇඳි සිතුවමුත් කතාව ඉහළ තලයකට නැංවීමට උදව් කරයි. නවකතාකරණයට පිවිසුන පුෂ්පාවන් මතු දින සාහිත ලොව එකළු කරන පුන්සඳක් වේවා'යි මම ඉත සිතින් පතමි.

Malee Dissanayake

Thursday, October 10, 2019

Pushpa Suriyaarachchi on Vidura Sinhala Radio Program

Pushpa Suriyaarachchi was invited to Sydney's Vidura Radio Program on October 10, 2019 for a discussion on her debut novel "Lost in Floral Rain".

The discussion was conducted by Dr Sunil Govinnage.

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Speech by James Humberstone (Video)

Speech delivered by James Humberstone on the launch of Lost in Floral Rain novel by Pushpa Suriyaarachchi at Minchinbury Community Hospital, NSW, Australia on 24 June 2019.

For transcript of this speech please go to:
https://lostinfloralrain.blogspot.com/2019/06/lost-in-floral-rain-reviewed-by-james.html

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Politics and Its Absences in Pushpa Suriyaarachchi’s ‘Lost in Floral Rain’ - Vihanga Perera

Lost in Floral Rain – a short novel which, in spite of her reluctance to call it an autobiography, its author Pushpa Suriyaarachchi claims to have been inspired by her own childhood experiences and encounters as a youth – has to it a strong and unabashed aura of nostalgia. The book is subtitled as a ‘Journey of a medical student’. However, the greater part of the narrative – a good three quarters of it – concern with the pre-university block of protagonist Kusum’s life. This section is weaved as a sequence of stand alone memories that maps her coming of age from being a clever, eager and enthusiastic village child to an accomplished young student who later tops the class to gain entry to the country’s most elite university.

The novel covers a crucial time frame from the mid-60s to the early-80s where Sri Lankan society underwent dramatic social and economic transitions. The Swabasha Act (Sinhala Only Act) of 1956 – a decade before Pushpa’s protagonist Kusum’s time – set in motion a nationalistic force at play which, in the next thirty years or so, radically determined the shape of the young nation. The failed attempts in 1957 and 1965 at bridging the deteriorating linguistic divide, and the resultant emergence of friction along ethno-linguistic lines, are at the distant backdrop of Lost in Floral Rain. As such, the site to which Kusum and her younger sister Nelum are born as well as the closed community in which they grow up represent a politically-charged outskirts society; except, for reasons that best interest her, Pushpa makes no attempt to factor in these crucial era-defining rudiments. Instead, at the end of the book, the overall political climate of the 1970s is covered by a postscript of sorts.

However, two key historical and political passages of play are built into the main narrative. In 1970, on the eve of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party-led coalition’s election victory, pro-coalition supporters pelt Kusum’s house with stones. Kusum’s father was known in the hometown as a United National Party partisan, and if not for the father’s shooting into the air using his shot gun the SLFP-mob – it is implied – would have torched the house. Glasses of the windows are smashed and a streak of fear and insecurity take over the young ones. The traumatic shock waves of the incident are prevalent in the family’s being discouraged from going out for about a week. Further reprisal is anticipated at any time. By the time the fear gradually subsides, the mother has already received a “punishment transfer” to a faraway school.

As such, the politics of a semi-feudal power play in which opportunities and resources are plundered and prioritized according to party affinity and loyalty – a system which encourages the oppression of the ‘party other’ in a game of monopoly for partisan welfare – is given colour. However, as hinted earlier, the writer’s shyness in localizing such instances within a larger political and historical framework – an arrangement that is sensitive to the structural shifts in Sri Lanka through the 60s and the 70s – undermines the overall power of that criticism. For instance, the Uprising of 1971, the anti-Tamil violence of 1977, 1979 and 1981, or the post-election violence by the UNP in 1977 are bypassed or consciously left out.

However, the reference to the post-election violence of 1970, as a point of emphasis, is significant. This is partly because among the many local, global and extra-terrestrial themes that interest them Sri Lankan writers composing in English have rarely attempted characterizations of nuanced passages of violence outside the national-level scope. Writers who ambitiously espouse the interest of trans-national publishers in order to ‘make the cut’ often prefer to build into their stories the July riots of 1983, the Civil War (1983-2009), and post-war complications – but, rarely focus on ‘local’ and ‘small scale’ disruptions such as election violence. This is true to all writers of whom a representational delegate includes Michael Ondaatje, Romesh Gunasekera and Shyam Selvadurai. In fact, Ondaatje, whose Anil’s Ghost (2000) is popularly believed to be set against the 1987-90 backdrop of the JVP’s second insurrection is one of the most pathetic attempts at representing a historical moment rife with deep and sensitive political implications to a community’s grassroots.

Among the names of those who succeed in formulating a relatively productive discussion of ‘minor’ and ‘local’ friction/conflict – situations that are unfashionable, yet crucial to our reading of Sri Lanka’s historical transmission – are those of Ediriweera Sarachchandra (Curfew and a Full Moon, 1978), M. Chandrasoma (Out Out Brief Candle, 1981), A. Sivanandan (When Memory Dies, 1998), Somachandre Wijesuriya (First Rising, 2001) and Ayathurai Santhan (The Whirlwind 2010; Rails Run Parallel, 2015). For instance, Somachandre Wijesuriya’s novel attempts a micro-reading of the 1956-1971 period – a timeline that overlaps by six years Pushpa Suriyaarachchi’s operational domain – and culminates on the eve of the 1971 uprising. Wijesuriya investigates the erosion of the socialist and internationalist values of the Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP) and the post-56 rise of Sinhala Buddhist nationalism. The novel, too, records several instances of election violence – including attacks targeting the small Tamil communities in the majority Sinhala areas – and punishment transfers given to public servents with alternative political views.

A second key political moment Pushpa draws on is the students’ struggle against the privatization of medical education in 1983. This mass struggle, popularly referred to as the resistance against the ‘North Colombo Private Medical School’, was in later times mythologized within the JVP-led student discourses as the ultimate struggle for the preservation of public education. By the way of indoctrination, generations of students to enter the university through the 80s, 90s and 2000s would be made to memorize and parrot the ‘great sacrifices’ of the 1980’s ‘student heroes’. Pushpa’s protagonist Kusuma takes part in a demonstration held in Kandy town under the close, monitoring eyes of the police. A public meeting is held in a nearby park. Kusum is coaxed to leave the premises by the fellow-student who, by then, has begun to show a non-academic interest in Kusum.

The concluding chapters of the novel are set in Peradeniya university: a space which Pushpa re-frames through palpable and rekindled nostalgia. Par with the literary sub-genre of the ‘University novel’ – an extensive body in both Sinhala and English – and complementary with its further denomination of the ‘Peradeniya novel’, Lost in Floral Rain seeks a place within a compendium for which the flowers, trees, meadows, socials, libraries, study sessions and flirtations had at the elite seat of learning had become a muse. This include several heavy and bantamweights of Sri Lanka’s scribal fraternity for whom Peradeniya was an idyll of romance and pastoral bliss. Valentine Perera’s Mahaweli Meadow (2006) was reviewed by Shelagh Goonewardene as a “celebration of student days and first love”. Writing of Shavindra Fernando’s The Vague Poetess (1999), Rajpal Abeynayake makes special note of the romanticization of the campus life and the writer’s immersion with the landscape as it ferments memory. P.G Punchihewa’s Those Were the Days (2007) is another book that comes to mind which attempts a fuzz out of Peradeniya. Of these three randomly referenced writers, Perera and Punchihewa would (in student terms) be a good decade to two decades senior to Pushpa, while Fernando would have probably been one of her contemporaries.

The more recent literature to seek inspiration from Peradeniya, however, has not been entirely overwhelmed by romance and idealism. Its Arcadian filament is dissected and confounded by numerous other biographies, memoirs and works of fiction of which the prominent body is in Sinhala and are written from a critical, left of center position. Of the literature available in English, Sarachchandra’s work and that of WI Siriweera attempt a critical and at times cynical view of Peradeniya as AV Suraweera does of Sri Jayewardenepura university through his Tread Softly (1990). A much deeper zoom in along the same lines is attempted by Rajiva Wijesinha who, by focusing on the English Department, drains some of the romance out of Peradeniya. His overall boring book An English Education (1996) is yet worth that suffering and tedium.

-Vihanga Perera

https://lankanassociate.wordpress.com/2019/08/17/politics-and-their-absences-in-pushpa-suriyaarachchis-lost-in-floral-rain/

Monday, August 5, 2019

Pushpa Suriyaarachchi as a panel member at South Asian Film, Arts & Literature Festival in NSW Australia - Photos

Last Sunday (4 August 2019) Pushpa Suriyaarachchi, the author of "Lost in Floral Rain", participated in a literary discussion on Finction: East meets West as a panel member at South Asian Film, Arts & Literature Festival in NSW Australia.

We bring some photographs captured at the event.

Panel on Fiction: Sanjya Bosale (Moderator), Nim Gholkar, Sharon Randal, Pushpa Suriyaarachchi, Vihnaga Perera.

Pushpa Suriyaarachchi and Vihanga Perera:

Rasika Suriyaarachchi, Pushpa Suriyaarachchi, Vihanga Perera and Hasitha Adhikariarachchi (a member of the organising committee):

A video will be published in a few days time.

Saturday, August 3, 2019

South Asian Film, Arts & Literature Festival featuring Pushpa Suriyaarachchi

Author of "Lost in Floral Rain", Pushpa Suriyaarachchi will take part in the panel discussion on Fiction at the South Asian Film, Arts & Literature Festival on Sunday 4 August, 2019 from 10:00am to 04:00pm at Brush Farm, 19, Lawson Street, Eastwood, NSW 2122.