Writing ‘The Governor’s Lover’
Let me share the story of how this book came about. Ever since my childhood days in Colombo, I was fascinated by the story of Major-General Sir Thomas Maitland, the British Army General who had fallen in love with a local woman named Lovinia Aponsuwa. She was the half-Sinhalese, half-Portuguese lead dancer of her father’s … Read More
How to Publish a book in 2022
So you’ve finally finished writing your book— you poured your heart and soul into the writing and spent countless hours editing and revising. Perhaps it’s been a lifelong dream—and now you want to get it published. What do you do next? Maybe you’ve done your homework on the do’s and don’ts of publishing a book, … Read More
Book review
No Comment, and don’t quote me on that. Book review by author Roderic Grigson It takes years to write a good book and in this insightful memoir, Thalif Deen, a former UN Bureau Chief and Regional Director at Inter Press Service (IPS) news agency, recounts colourful and amusing stories from his 40-year career, ‘reporting from … Read More
Sri Lankan roots and real life
Much of what I write about in my books is based on real events both in and outside of Sri Lanka. Although the stories may be fiction, many of the settings and what the main characters experience are taken from actual fact.
Freewriting
When I wanted to become an author, I had to work hard reinventing myself from being an information writer to becoming a creative writer.
To self-publish or not…
People write books for many reasons and most have a common goal. They want to see their work in print, displayed in bookstores and hopefully, listed as a bestseller.
After The Flames – behind the scenes
‘After the Flames’ is the second book I wrote, and the one for which I was totally unprepared.
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka On every sensual and intellectual level, Sri Lanka is not just a country to visit but a place to experience.
The Sri Lankans
Sri Lanka is home to many religions, ethnicities and languages.
A distinct culture
Sri Lanka has a documented history of over 2,000 years, mainly due to ancient historic scriptures like the Mahawamsa, and with the first stone objects dating back to 500,000 BC.
The Colonials
The Colonials The Portuguese were the first Europeans to visit the island (now named Sri Lanka).
The Religions
Sri Lanka is a multi-religious country. Of the four major religions in Sri Lanka which the people of this spiritual island embrace, Buddhism predominates.
The Superstitious And The Supernatural
With a recorded history of nearly 2500 years and an unrecorded history of at least the same period, Sri Lanka is home to many legends.
The ideal holiday destination
Rather than measure distance in kilometres, Sri Lankan locals refer to the time it takes to travel from one place to the next.
Festivals of culture, colour and meaning
Sri Lanka’s festivals of culture, colour and meaning Sri Lanka’s multicultural society celebrates a wide variety of festivals, ceremonies and events.
A mix of cuisines
Sri Lankan cuisine is spicy and varied.
The Civil War
The Sri Lanka civil war formally broke out on 23 July 1983 when an armed insurgency was mounted against the government by the separatist militant organisation known as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
Writing ‘The Governor’s Lover’
Let me share the story of how this book came about. Ever since my childhood days in Colombo, I was fascinated by the story of Major-General Sir Thomas Maitland, the British Army General who had fallen in love with a local woman named Lovinia Aponsuwa. She was the half-Sinhalese, half-Portuguese lead dancer of her father’s … Read More
How to Publish a book in 2022
So you’ve finally finished writing your book— you poured your heart and soul into the writing and spent countless hours editing and revising. Perhaps it’s been a lifelong dream—and now you want to get it published. What do you do next? Maybe you’ve done your homework on the do’s and don’ts of publishing a book, … Read More
Writing During A Pandemic
The first writer I watched at work was my grandfather. He would close his study door and sit down to write a letter to his long-separated son and youngest daughter, one living in Melbourne and the other in faraway London. He had seen neither since they had left Colombo on their various life journeys many … Read More
Cry In Your Sleep
The legend goes in Fiji, that a princess escaping a marriage arranged by her Father, sought refuge underneath a tree, beside a remote mountain lake. In her sadness, she cries in her sleep. Her tears become the beautiful red flowers of the Tagimoucia plant, the national floral emblem of Fiji, used by the villagers for medicinal purposes. Adrian Nicholls is fiercely … Read More
Book review
No Comment, and don’t quote me on that. Book review by author Roderic Grigson It takes years to write a good book and in this insightful memoir, Thalif Deen, a former UN Bureau Chief and Regional Director at Inter Press Service (IPS) news agency, recounts colourful and amusing stories from his 40-year career, ‘reporting from … Read More
Freewriting
When I wanted to become an author, I had to work hard reinventing myself from being an information writer to becoming a creative writer.
To self-publish or not…
People write books for many reasons and most have a common goal. They want to see their work in print, displayed in bookstores and hopefully, listed as a bestseller.
After The Flames – behind the scenes
‘After the Flames’ is the second book I wrote, and the one for which I was totally unprepared.
Sri Lankan roots and real life
Much of what I write about in my books is based on real events both in and outside of Sri Lanka. Although the stories may be fiction, many of the settings and what the main characters experience are taken from actual fact.
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka On every sensual and intellectual level, Sri Lanka is not just a country to visit but a place to experience.
The Sri Lankans
Sri Lanka is home to many religions, ethnicities and languages.
A distinct culture
Sri Lanka has a documented history of over 2,000 years, mainly due to ancient historic scriptures like the Mahawamsa, and with the first stone objects dating back to 500,000 BC.