Gunadasa Amarasekera is a prominent Sinhala writer

Writer

A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....

, poet

Poet

A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...

, and essayist from Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...

. Gunadasa Amarasekera was born in Yattalamatta in Galle District

Galle District

Galle is a district in Southern Province, Sri Lanka.- Geological background :Its area is , in which is water and is land. Galle District bounded on the North by Benthara river, South and West by the Indian Ocean and East by Matara and Ratnapura Districts. Topography of Galle District is very...

. He was educated at Mahinda College, Galle

Mahinda College

Mahinda College is a Buddhist boys' school in Galle, Sri Lanka. It is a national school, which provides primary and secondary education. The school was established on March 1, 1892 by the Buddhist Theosophical Society led by Colonel Henry Steel Olcott...

 and Nalanda College Colombo. Some of Dr Amarasekara's notable classmates at Nalanda College were Karunaratne Abeysekera

Karunaratne Abeysekera

Karunaratne Abeysekera was one of Sri Lanka's most famous Sinhala broadcasters. He was also an acclaimed poet and songwriter and was widely admired for his excellent command of Sinhala....

, Stanley Jayasinghe

Stanley Jayasinghe

Stanley Jayasinghe is a former Sri Lankan cricketer who played for Ceylon prior to the country being renamed Sri Lanka, and prior to them receiving either Test of ODI status. He was a right-handed batsman and part time offbreak bowler. In his first class cricket career which began in 1949/50 he...

, Dr Harischandra Wijayatunga

Harischandra Wijayatunga

Wijayatunga Mudalige Harischandra Wijayatunga is a Sri Lankan author, translator, lexicographer, teacher, lawyer and politician. He held various offices in different institutions of the Government of Sri Lanka. At present he is the leader of Sinhalaye Mahasammatha Bhoomiputra Party...

, Dr Hudson Silva

Hudson Silva

Deshabandu Dr. F. G. Hudson Silva was the founder and president of the International Eye Bank, Tissue Bank, and the Sri Lanka Eye Donation Society. He was an honorary Fellow of the College of Ophthalmologists of Sri Lanka....

, Hon. Rupa Karunathilake

Rupa Karunathilake

Rupa Karunathilake was a former Cabinet Minister and ex Member of Parliament representing Bentara-Elpitiya electorate, in Galle District. He was also the former Sri Lanka Ambassador to the Netherlands...

, Hon. Dr Dharmasena Attygalle

Dharmasena Attygalle

Dr Dharmasena Attygalle was a MP in Sri Lanka's parliament from 1972 to 1983.He was Deputy Minister of Health and Minister of Indigenous Medicine representing the Kesbewa seat....

, Dr Henry Jayasena

Henry Jayasena

Henry Jayasena born in Bendiyamulla, Gampaha is a Sri Lankan actor and dramatist.-Early Life:Jayasena studied at the Gampaha branch of Lorenz College and at Nalanda College Colombo. Some of Jayasena's notable classmates at Nalanda College were Karunaratne Abeysekera, Dr Harischandra Wijayatunga,...

. He is a graduate of University of Ceylon

University of Colombo

The University of Colombo is a public research university located primarily in Colombo, Sri Lanka...

 and a Dental

Dentist

A dentist, also known as a 'dental surgeon', is a doctor that specializes in the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases and conditions of the oral cavity. The dentist's supporting team aides in providing oral health services...

 Surgeon

Surgeon

In medicine, a surgeon is a specialist in surgery. Surgery is a broad category of invasive medical treatment that involves the cutting of a body, whether human or animal, for a specific reason such as the removal of diseased tissue or to repair a tear or breakage...

 by profession.
He is one of the founding fathers of the Peradeniya school of literary tradition of modern Sri Lankan literature

Sri Lankan literature

Sri Lankan literature is the literary tradition of Sri Lanka. The largest part of Sri Lankan literature was written in the Sinhala language, but there is a considerable amount of works in other languages used in Sri Lanka over the millennia .Up to the present, short stories are a very important...

. He was a controversial figure from the outset, due to the subject matter and style. He later did a complete turn around and criticised his own works like "Gandabba Apadanaya".

After 1970s, he moved to social, cultural, and political criticism. Together with Nalin de Silva

Nalin de Silva

Nalin de Silva is a Sri Lankan theoretical physicist, philosopher and a political analyst. He is a Professor in the Department of Mathematics and the Dean of the faculty of Science at the University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka.Prof...

, he was responsible for the Jaathika Chinthanaya (national consciousness) movement which dominates Sinhala intellectual debate from mid-1980s to the current date.

Books

• Jeevana Suwanda
• Rathu Rosa Mala
• Karumakkarayo
• Depa Nollado
• Asathya Kathawak
• Premaye Sathya Kathawa
• Gamanaka Mula
• Gamdoren Eliyata
• Ganaduru Madiyama Dakinemi Arunalu
• Ekatamen Polawata
• Amal Bisso
• Gandabba Apadanaya
• Asak Da Kava
• Arunaluseren Arunodhyata
• Anagarika Dharmapala Marxvaadida?
• Bhaava Gita
• Ekama Katava
• Gal Pilimaya saha Bol pilimaya
• Jathika Chinthanaya saha Jaathika Aarthikaya
• Katha Pahak
• Kavhandayaka Kathandaraya

External links & References

• Gunadasa Amarasekara, Library of Congress New Delhi Office.
• "Gunadasa Amarasekera: The dentist — philosopher rooted in Sinhala soil" an article by Malinda Seneviratne