A group of Swedish schoolchildren has been introduced to Sri Lankan literature through the Swedish translation of Martin Wickramasinghe’s Madol Doova, at a programme organised by the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Stockholm, Newswire reported.
The embassy said the session was intended to familiarise young Swedish readers with the work of Wickramasinghe — widely regarded as the father of modern Sinhala literature — while offering an insight into Sri Lankan traditions and heritage.
How the session ran
The children were introduced to the story, its characters and the cultural elements running through the novel. Priyanwada M. Banduwardana, who translated Madol Doova into Swedish, read a chapter aloud, followed by an interactive discussion with the students about the book, Sri Lanka and its culture.
The children then took part in a creative drawing session inspired by the novel, working through its themes and characters in their own images. The programme closed with traditional Sri Lankan refreshments and Ceylon Tea.
Why this book
First published in 1947, Madol Doova is among the most widely read works in Sinhala. It follows Upali Giniwella, a mischievous boy who runs away with his friend Jinna and settles an uninhabited island of mangrove scrub, turning it into cultivated land. Its mix of boyhood escapade and close observation of rural southern village life has kept it a fixture of Sri Lankan childhood for generations, and it has been translated into several languages and adapted for film.
The embassy described the initiative as part of its continuing cultural diplomacy work promoting Sri Lankan literature and art in Sweden, and strengthening people-to-people ties between the two countries.
Caveats
The report does not give the date of the programme, the school or number of children involved, the publisher of the Swedish translation, or the year it appeared. The account originates with the embassy’s own statement, and no verified newsroom had published independent coverage at the time of writing.
