Martin Wickramasinghe
| Martin Wickramasinghe මාර්ටින් වික්රමසිංහ |
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|---|---|
| Born |
Lama Hewage Don Martin Wickramasinghe 29 May 1890 Koggala, Sri Lanka |
| Died | 23 July 1976 (aged 86) Colombo, Sri Lanka |
| Nationality | Sri Lankan |
| Occupation | Writer, author |
| Spouse(s) | Kataluwe Balage Prema de Silva |
| Children |
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Lama Hewage Don Martin Wickramasinghe commonly Martin Wickramasinghe, MBE (Sinhalese: මාර්ටින් වික්රමසිංහ) (29 May 1890 – 23 July 1976) was a Sri Lankan novelist. His books have been translated into several languages.
The search for roots is a central theme in Wickramasinghe's writings on the culture and life of the people of Sri Lanka. His work explored and applied modern knowledge in natural and social sciences, literature, linguistics, the arts, philosophy, education, Buddhism and comparative religion. Wickramasinghe is often acclaimed as the father of modern Sinhala literature.
Wickramasinghe was born on 29 May 1890, in the town of Koggala, in Southern Sri Lanka, the only son of Lamahewage Don Bastian Wickramasinghe, and Magalle Balapitiya Liyanage Thochchohamy. Koggala was bounded on one side by a reef, and on the other by a large lake into which the numerous tributaries of the Koggala Oya drained. The landscapes of the sea, lake studded with little islands, the flora and fauna, the forested hinterland, and the changing patterns of life and culture of the people of the village would later influence his work.
At the age of five Wickramasinghe was taught the Sinhala alphabet, at home and in the village temple, by a monk, Andiris Gurunnanse. He also learned the Devanagari script and could recite by memory long sections of the Hitopadesa. After two years he was taken to a vernacular school where he prospered until 1897 when he was sent to an English school in Galle called Buena Vista. In the two years spent at the school Wickramasinghe became fluent in English as well as Latin. When his father died, he returned to a vernacular school in Ahangama and subsequently lost interest in schooling.
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