The State Literary Awards Ceremony 2026, which honours distinguished literary personalities who have enriched Sri Lanka’s literary sphere through their outstanding literary creations, was held this afternoon (08) at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall in Colombo under the patronage of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.
The 67th State Literary Awards Ceremony was organised jointly by the Ministry of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs, the Department of Cultural Affairs, the Arts Council of Sri Lanka and the Advisory Board of Literature. A large number of writers were presented with State Awards at the ceremony in recognition of their outstanding contributions to the Sri Lankan literary field in 2025, across more than 50 categories.
In addition, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake presented the prestigious “Sahithyarathna” Lifetime Achievement Awards, which are conferred only once in a person’s lifetime, upon three distinguished literary creators who have made an unparalleled contribution to Sri Lanka’s literary sphere in the Sinhala, Tamil and English languages.
Accordingly, veteran poet Mr. Parakrama Kodituwakku was honoured with the “Sahithyaratna” Award for his contribution to Sinhala literature; distinguished poet Mr. Somasundarampillai Padmanathan was honoured for his contribution to Tamil literature; and Emeritus Professor E. A. Gamini Fonseka was honoured for his contribution to English literature.
The collection of books that received literary awards in 2026, the commemorative publication and the Literary Journal 2026 published in Sinhala, Tamil and English were also presented to the President on this occasion.
Addressing the gathering, Minister of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs Dr. Hiniduma Sunil Senevi stated that Sri Lanka had been able to embark on a path of progress during the past two years and that these two years could be considered a period of social transformation.
The Minister noted that the contribution made by the arts and cultural sector towards this social transformation, which he described as a civilisational change and an investment, had been immense. He expressed his gratitude to all those who had dedicated themselves to this endeavour.
The Minister further stated that numerous achievements had been made in Sri Lanka’s arts and cultural sector during the past two years. Among the key achievements were the formulation of a national framework for the promotion of contemporary art, which had long been a recognised need; the improvement of facilities at cultural centres for people interested in the arts living in remote villages; and the amendment of the Arts Council of Ceylon Act, together with the amendment or formulation of five other pieces of legislation under the Ministry.
The Minister emphasised that these measures were essential to ensuring that Sri Lanka’s arts and cultural sector could move forward without hindrance while adapting to contemporary requirements.
Minister of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs Dr. Hiniduma Sunil Senevi further stated:
“We have been able to place Sri Lanka on a path of progress during the past two years. We consider the past two years to have been a period of social transformation. At the same time, we regard this social transformation as a civilisational change and an investment. The contribution made by the arts and cultural sector towards this transformation has been by no means insignificant.
“Our arts and cultural policy is centred on the vision of ‘An elevated cultural life – an empathetic people.’ In this regard, the Arts Council of Sri Lanka and its nine affiliated sub-councils are undertaking a substantial programme of work.
“It is a great honour for all of us that three senior literary personalities are being conferred with the ‘Sahithyaratna’ Awards today. The eminent poet Parakrama Kodituwakku wrote his poetry collection “Podi Malliye” in 1973. From that time until 2026, with his latest poetry collection “Sandaeliyehi Waradak Nehe”, his contribution to the development of poetry in Sri Lanka has been immeasurable. His contribution as a social activist and mentor must also not be forgotten.
“I had the privilege of serving as a lecturer at Sabaragamuwa University with Emeritus Professor E. A. Gamini Fonseka approximately 25 years ago. He dedicated his entire life to teaching the English language and English literature. Similarly, distinguished poet Somasundarampillai Padmanathan has been recognised with numerous awards, including the ‘Yaal’ Award, the ‘Siva Tamil’ Award and the ‘Yaal Muthu’ Award.
“We have achieved numerous milestones in Sri Lanka’s arts and cultural sector during the past two years.
“Among these, the formulation of a national framework for the promotion of contemporary art, which had been a longstanding requirement, is particularly significant. In addition to the allocations made to the Ministry, the President took steps to allocate Rs. 50 million through the previous Budget for the development of the literary sector. These funds are being utilised to obtain equipment required for multicultural centres. The President’s expectation was that these allocations would particularly benefit people interested in the arts who live in remote villages.
“Furthermore, the amendment of the Arts Council of Ceylon Act has now been completed. In addition, five other pieces of legislation under our Ministry are currently being amended or newly formulated. This is an essential requirement to ensure that these sectors can move forward without hindrance while adapting to modern needs.
“Moreover, for the first time in the history of Sri Lanka, the National Film Corporation has succeeded in preparing a film to represent Sri Lanka in consideration for the Oscars.
“With these significant achievements, our arts and cultural sector continues to move forward.”
The Minister once again extended his heartfelt congratulations to all the literary personalities who received State Awards today.
The Maha Sangha and other religious leaders, Minister of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs Dr. Hiniduma Sunil Senevi, Deputy Minister of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs Mr. Gamagedara Dissanayake, Secretary to the Ministry of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs Mr. Prince Senadheera, Director of Cultural Affairs K. S. Dilhani, Chairman of the Arts Council of Sri Lanka Mr. Keerthi Welisarage, Chairman of the State Literary Advisory Board Mr. Kamal Perera, along with scholars, writers, artists and a large number of distinguished guests, were present at the occasion.
