Michael Roberts
A week or so before patriotic Sri Lankans marked and celebrated “Independence Day” on 4th February denoting the day on which the imperial British order of the modern era relinquished its formal colonial hold on “Ceylon,” Australians marked “Australia Day” with commemorative ceremonies on 26th January. In fact, at the ceremony in Adelaide marking our Sri Lankan independence, I came across a former naval officer in resplendent out with medals marking his service in the Sri Lankan Navy who had received his Australian citizenship a week or so earlier.
In the light of this commemorative spotlightd, I chose to insert some thoughts in brief fashion within FACEBOOK. I contended that Anzac Day on 25th April is far more significant in the thinking and patriotism of Australians than 26th January [see Pix above]. This signifcance, in my conjecture, embraces indigenous Australians as well as immigrant from Europeaan countries, Asia and the Pacific –with the key players being British immigrant stock.
Devika Brendon has now endorsed my argument in a private communication. Devika happens to be an author of note and the daughter of two accomplished parents, the late Brendon Gooneratne (a doctor, top-level cricketer and author) and Yasmine Gooneratne nee Bandaranaike (a famous Sri Lankan-Australian at]utdhoress in englsih literature).
It is advisable, therefore, to place this set of thoughts, before the public in Thuppahi for critical consideration — whether challenges, endorsements or tangential sidelights.
Roberts in Facebook, 7 February 2024
Email from Devika Brendon to Michael Roberts, 7 February 2024**
Devika Brendon
* Content Editor for New Ceylon Writing newceylonwriting.com
* Columnist for Ceylon Today
* Contributing Writer to The Sunday Times, Groundviews, The Daily Mirror and The Morning
* Editor & Reviewer
* Academic & Researcher
* Teacher of English Literature & Language
* Writer of Poetry & Short Stories
* Published in Quadrant, Southern Crossings, Rochford Street Review, Not Very Quiet, Other Terrain, Back Story, MargASIA, Nethra, JCLA, The Hopkins Review, Noel, AWS, The Burrow, Channels, WOMAWords, The Time Of The Poet Republic, BENDR Journals: Globalisation, Poetry On A Plate, Angst, Shoot The Breeze, Hills And Mountains, Across The Seas, Cooch Behar, Brave World, Alphabet Of Women Anthologies.
*Poem ‘Adamant’ was part of The Brilliant Resilient NFT Exhibition, launched in 2022.
* Co-Founder of the ESVN CampaignMy prose writing can be read on my blog: sensoryaccentuation.blogspot.
* Alice Faber Memorial Prize
* Harold Kestevan Prize for Poetry
* Sydney University Union Prize for Poetry
* Henry Lawson Memorial Prize For Poetry
* Adrian Consett Stephen Prize For Prose
