THE CEYLON JOURNAL is launched: Seeking to Elucidate the Past & the Present

The Ceylon Journal is finally out

On August 2, 2024, the inaugural volume of The Ceylon Journal was launched at the Sri Lanka Medical Association Auditorium. This new publication by Heritage Publications is spearheaded by young historian Avishka Mario Senewiratne, features 15 articles exploring various facets of Sri Lankan history, including politics, architecture, folklore, and more. Inspired by Charles Ambrose Lorenz’s Young Ceylon, the journal aims to deepen understanding of Sri Lanka’s heritage and inspire progress.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some of the Journal’s Committee Members: (L to R) : Ainslie Joseph, Janani Wijeyeratne, Avishka Senewiratne, Dr. Kanchanakesi Warnapala, Pradeep Jayatunga

The Ceylon Journal explores a multitude of subjects pertaining to Sri Lanka. It is neither a rigorous academic journal nor a light feature magazine, but a journal placed in-between, targeting a general discerning English reading population of Sri Lanka and overseas. 

The event, attended by a distinguished audience, included a speech by Senewiratne explaining the journal’s purpose and inviting future submissions. Dr. Rohan Pethiyagoda delivered the keynote address, stressing the importance of making thoughtful decisions at pivotal moments in the country’s history. Prof. Walter Perera reviewed the journal, noting its diverse contributions. The ceremony also introduced the journal’s official website and featured musical performances in five languages by Francis D’Almeida and Ryanthi Kumarasinghe.

The launch was held before a full-house audience featuring distinguished individuals.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dr. Rohini, Paranavitana, Dr Sandagomi Coperahewa, Avishka & Dr KD Paranavitana

 

The Ceylon Journal can be purchased at the price of Rs.2,000 by contacting +94 72 583 0728 and is also on sale at Barefoot, Colombo 04

Purpose of the Journal

 To delve into our past and explore our rich heritage to enrich our identity and inspire our people to create a better Sri Lanka.

 Accordingly, it is our firm belief that The Ceylon Journal would build a bridge between the past and the present. We encourage our writers to wield the ‘tool’ of history in such a way that their narrative may deliver a true, fair and appealing account of their relevant research based on reliable and justifiable sources. Utilizing history as a cross-cutting theme, our writers are to bring forth a narrative contextualized to understand the trends of today in order to make fruitful decisions for tomorrow.

Prof. C. R. de Silva’s NOTE on the inauguration of The Ceylon Journal

The inauguration of the Ceylon Journal should be a cause for celebration. As I understand it, it is a publication designed to offer a wide perspective on Sri Lanka to the substantial group of English speakers in Sri Lanka, as well as to those living in other parts of the world who are interested in the country.  The objective is to periodically publish issues of the journal with articles providing new information on a variety of subjects including archaeology, art, architecture, culinary arts, folklore, history, language and literature, law, music, natural history, social and economic conditions, sports and wildlife.

One might argue that this function is fulfilled today through a number of English language academic journals. A few among them, such as the University of Colombo Review, Kalyani: Journal of the University of Kelaniya, the KDU Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies and the Colombo Journal of Multi-Disciplinary Research, cover a wide range of subjects. Others such as the Ceylon Journal of Science, Ceylon Medical Journal, Cities People Places: An International Journal on Urban Environments, Colombo Business Journal, Engineer: Journal of the Institution of Engineers, Sri Lankan Journal of Banking and Finance and the Sri Lanka Journal of Forensic Medicine, Science & Law, to name just a few, cover restricted subject areas. However, these journals all cater to a limited number of readers in the academia and in various professions. Their content is designed for experts in the field and generally, articles in them do not appeal to the general reader.

Providing new information in a variety of fields at a non-specialist level is also provided in a restricted fashion by newspapers such as the Sunday Observer, the Sunday Times, the Daily Mirror and the Daily News, which occasionally publish well-written articles on a number of topics. However, such articles vary in quality and are scattered among competing news sheets, copies of which are discarded within a few days.

What the Ceylon Journal is designed to provide is (in the words of it’s Editor-in-chief) a regular supply of short readable pieces which ‘delve into our past and explore our rich heritage to enrich our identity and inspire our people to create a better Sri Lanka.’ As the editor in chief puts it the journal will include ‘serious work but written in a style that will appeal to the general discerning reader. We encourage our writers to write on subjects that are less discussed and would be of great interest to the specialists as well as the non-specialists.’

The first issue of the journal has more than satisfied these objectives. It is a collection of articles of excellent quality covering issues ranging from art and cartography to banknotes, court cases and cricket. The authors included some who started out as writers, but there were also others who are well known in their fields. This combination should give us the hope that the journal will emerge as a publication that will attract the attention of a wide group of readers and make a valued contribution to reasoned inquiry and discussion on the legacy of Sri Lanka’s past and possible directions for its future.

Prof. C. R. de Silva, Formerly of the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka and Old Dominion University, USA

ALSO NOTE the UTUBE presentation here