President Dissanayake Leads 67th State Literary Awards Ceremony

The 67th State Literary Awards Ceremony took place on May 8th at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall in Colombo, with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake serving as the chief guest. The annual event, organized by the Ministry of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs and the Arts Council of Sri Lanka, recognized literary achievements from over 1500 submitted works. Over 150 writers were honoured across diverse categories, including novels, poetry, and translations. A significant highlight was the presentation of the prestigious 'Sahithya Ratna' lifetime achievement award to senior literary figures Parakrama Kodithuwakku, Prof. E. A. Gamini Fonseka, and Somasundaram Pillai Padmanathan.