The ‘Voice for the Voiceless project by PEN-Sri Lanka came to fruition with the Book Presentation Ceremony of “Tea Stained Lines”, a stirring collection of heartfelt poems penned by 20 talented Tamil poets from the Upcountry tea estates, on the 11th of September 2024, at the Indian Cultural Centre in Colombo. The project, successfully spearheaded by the General Secretary of Pen Sri Lanka, Pathum Wickremaratne, and Mr. Upul Janaka Jayasinghe, the President of Pen Sri Lanka, bore testament to the dedication and teamwork of Pen Sri Lanka, who tirelessly undertook the task of collecting and selecting 20 poems from hundreds of talented young people from the tea estates of Sri Lanka, and translating them into English and Sinhala with the assistance of various scholars.
PEN Sri Lanka promotes literature and creative writing through various events such as book launches, seminars,writing workshops, literary festivals, and poetry readings. These events give aspiring writers a platform to showcase their work and to encourage young people to develop their writing skills. All forms of literature are celebrated and a voice is given to writers from all corners of Sri Lanka.
The Voice for the Voiceless project is a testament to PEN International principles. The project provided a platform for these unsung Poets with the main objective of being to establish a platform that showcases the talent of 20 selected underappreciated artists within the Up-country Tamilian community. Additionally, through the “A Voice for the Voiceless” project, Pen Sri Lanka aims to form a wider understanding of the cultural challenges faced by the Up Country Tamils and also bring to the forefront the authentic representation of this marginalised community through their artistic works of poetry.
The project is the second by PEN-Sri Lanka and the selected 20 Tamil poems have been translated into English and Sinhala. By creating opportunities for these undiscovered artists to showcase their work, Pen Sri Lanka aims to promote their unique culture and artistic capabilities to a wider audience in Sri Lanka. Additionally, through “A Voice for the Voiceless” project, it is hoped that there will be a wider understanding of the cultural challenges faced by the Up Country Tamils and also bring to the forefront the authentic representation of this marginalised community through their artistic works of poetry.
Present at the “Tea Stained Lines” book launch ceremony were dignatories from both Sri Lanka and India, including Mr. Mayilvaganam Thilakaraj (The Chief Editor Of The Book),Chief Guest : The Hon. Vidura Wickramanayake, The Minister Of Buddhashasana, Religious, And Cultural Affairs, Professor Ankuran Dutta – The Director Of The ICCR (Indian Cultural Centre),Ms. Navya Singla, (First Secretary Of The Indian High Commission,Mr. Radhakrishan – Former State Minister, Mr. Madan Gowda – The General Secretary Of The Karnataka District Journalist Association & President Of The Indian Wing Of The Asian Media And Cultural Association (AMCA) and many more friends of Pen Sri Lanka, the media and the Asian Media Cultural Association.
About Pen International –
PEN International is a worldwide association of writers, founded in London in 1921 to promote friendship and intellectual co-operation among writers everywhere. The association has autonomous International PEN centres in more than 100 countries. PEN Sri Lanka, the newest branch of PEN International,recently joined this esteemed worldwide organisation of writers in 2022. The mission of PEN Sri Lanka is to promote literature and freedom of expression, and to defend the rights of writers and readers in the island.
