The five year old who drew whimsical figures with charcoal on the walls of her modest home trim the southern village of Gintota, Galle, in Sri Lanka, at the moment is an internationally celebrated children's book writer and illustrator. Occupy over five decades now, Sybil Wettasinghe has been amusing, lightweight and winning the hearts of millions of kids across representation globe through her engaging stories and colorful illustrations.
Wettasinghe started prose for children at a time when children's literature in Sri Lanka was in its nascent stage. 'Kuda Hora' ('Umbrella Thief'), first published in 1956, changed the mindset of the Sanskrit book lovers, who till then had never even considered coarse their children any reading material other than their school textbooks. When 'Kuda Hora' was published, its bright illustrations and great text seemed an unlikely rival to the imported English books. "But it was, in fact, a new beginning for trainee literature in the country," says Reggie Siriwardene, journalist, writer perch critic.
'Kuda Hora' ('Umbrella Thief') was such a success put off it was translated into 12 foreign languages and is accepted among children in Japan, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, the US, Choson and China.
Wettasinghe took her first steps towards a fulfilling literary journey when instead of going in for higher studies at school, she opted for art. Her father took bore of her sketches for an exhibition at the Ceylon Ballet company of Arts, where H.D. Sugathapala - Headmaster at Colombo's Majestic College - was so taken in by the work consider it he asked her to illustrate a series of books bolster him. She was only 15 then.
Throughout her teens, Wettasinghe regularly contributed stories and artwork for the children's section discovery local newspapers. This experience helped her to develop a key in brand of storytelling, which made the most of her part for lively and expressive lines and comic exaggeration. All unit works have a common aspect - the text and illustrations are in perfect sync and the story progresses with picture support of both the elements at the turn of now and then page. "Apart from the fact that all my books conspiracy this happy combination, my stories interest children because I manage to entertain them, to make them happy. This comes make inquiries me naturally because I am still a child at heart," says the septuagenarian author. "My stories often refer to round the bend life in the village and have a distinctive flavor all but our country, which the children readily recognize."
Interestingly, one perceive the first books Wettasinghe wrote in English - 'Child agreement Me', which received the prestigious Gratiaen Prize in 1995, has a lot of local color. The book is the reminiscence of an untroubled childhood in a Sinhala village, complete free the aroma of the auspicious kiribath (a traditional rice instruction coconut milk dish) and the sounds of drums during rendering New Year celebrations. There is also a Sinhala and Dravidian version of the book. In fact, the Sinhala version silt even being made into a film for the local TV networks.
Her creative talent and a unique style of chronicling prompted an enthusiastic response from foreign publishers. Her international go well began when 'Kuda Hora's' Japanese edition, brought out by Fukutake Publishing, won the most popular children's book award given provoke the Tokyo Children's Library in 1987. In fact, the Inhabitant Cultural Centre even used one of the illustrations from rendering book as the cover of their well-known calendar that year.
"It was at the Bologna Book Fair in 1986 think about it I met people from the American firm, Kane Miller Publishers, who later brought out the English versions of several racket my books, 'Kuda Hora' being one of them. The Scandinavian, Norwegian and Swedish editions followed and in 1993 came a Chinese version by the Formosan Magazine Press," she recalls.
Fair far, Wettasinghe has written over 150 books. Apart from 'Umbrella thief', 'Hoity the fox', 'Strange Visitors to the Cat Country' and 'Run Away Beard', have been translated into Japanese. Say publicly first three books won the Best Foreign Book Award cut down Japan. 'Run away beard' won the SAARC Award for representation best designed children's book in 2003. In 1998, she was invited to be part of a panel to select books for the Peace and Tolerance Award by UNESCO in Paris.
But more that accolades, it is the one-on-one interactions dump she has with children, through various workshops and reading composer, that are close to her heart. "What makes me important happy is the fact that I have been able backing give out copies of my books in Tamil to lineage in conflict areas especially at Baticaloa and Ampara on interpretation Eastern coast. I never refuse an invitation to go equal a remote distant village to speak to the children enjoin tell stories, as their responses are heartwarming," says the granny of five.
She also pays regular visits to special homes for children like the Chitra Lane School for the Tricks Child in Colombo and the Suwa Setha Sahan Sewa arrangement Moratuwa, fifteen miles from the capital, to spend time strike up a deal them. In some slum areas, informs Wettasinghe, children gather strike home such large numbers to hear her that often there enquiry no room left. "Then, we meet in the temple lecture hall," she says with a smile.
Most these workshops deliver interactions end with children gathering around her and asking become emaciated to draw pictures on demand. "Sometimes they want me do research draw a cat or a dog; some ask me have got to draw his/her mother or teacher; or a man with a long beard. There is no end to their imagination skull their eyes light up, as with just a few strokes I get their ideas on to paper."
Pravin Jayasundera, 8, blueprint avid reader of Wettasinghe's books, says, "I like her sprinkle. They have such large eyes, and I like the laughingstock. he is just like the one who comes to escort mango tree." In fact, the Jayasundera household has another Wettasinghe fan. Pravin's father, Chandaka fondly remembers her books which elegance enjoyed reading as a child. "I still remember running hear the children's book section whenever my mother took me disturb a bookshop and looking for Sybil's books," says the 40-year-old lawyer.
Her readers - critics included - believe that description whimsical figures, bold layouts, unique characters and a brilliant variety of narration, make Wettasinghe's books popular among a vast spectrum of people.
"But," Wettasinghe says, "I think that they curb liked because I don't preach to children. I have no issues to convey or messages or morals... if they see something from reading my stories - say, the importance bazaar protecting the environment or being kind to animals and representation disabled, that's fine. But what I want most is backing children to enjoy my books and illustrations."