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Kamala Wijeratne is from the Central part of Sri Lanka, from the town called Kandy, which is considered the cultural capital. Her birthplace is Ulapone, a sleepy village about thirty kilometers away to the North, along the Kandy Talawakele road. She received her early education at Teldeniya and subsequently in Kandy and Gampola. She is a graduate of the University of Peradeniya (University of Ceylon then). She started her career as a teacher. Subsequently she lectured at the Teacher's College, Peradeniya and later on joined the National Institute of Education as a Chief Project Officer. At present she works at the University of Colombo and the University of Sri Jayawardhanapura as a visiting lecturer.

She started writing in her teens while yet at school. However serious writing started only in 1983 with the publication of the Smell of Araliya. Two years later A House Divided was printed followed by the Disinherited and That one talent. A White Sari and other poems followed. These were all poetic compositions. In 1998 her first collection of short stories was published entitled Death by Drowning and other stories. In 2001 she published Millenium Poems which was awarded the State Literary Prize for English Poetry. After a lapse of over five years she published A Prayer to God Upulvan in 2007. She is at present putting together a collection of short stories.

Her published works include...

The Smell of Araliya (1983)

Anthology of poems first published in 1983. Has gone to a second edition. Has a strong Sri Lankan flavour. Deals with themes related to women and their condition in a traditional society, development and environmental disaster.

A House Divided (1985)

Slim volume of poetry dealing with the growing internal violence and the widening gap between ethnic groups in Sri Lanka.

The Disinherited (1986)

A reaction to the violence of 1988 - 1990.

That One Talent (1987)

Reaction to the continuing violence and the social upheavals of the 90's.

The White Saree & Other Poems (1988)

Sensitive reaction to the violence of the North and South.

Millenium Poems

Deals with a variety of issues ; war, pollution, corruption, love and death.

Death by Drowning and Other Stories (2004)

First collection of Short Stores - deals with various themes like development, charge, women's issues.

A Prayer to God Upulvan (2007)

Sensitive reaction to the Tsunami of 2004, ethnic misunderstanding, legend and myth.

She can be contacted via e-mail here