Gratiaen Prize
1 appearances
-
Edition 23 (2010) Winner
Sakuntala Sachithanandan
サクンタラ・サチタナンダン
Sakuntala Sachithanandan
Profile
- Gender
- Female
- Nationality
- Sri Lankan
- Languages
- English
- Residence History
- Wattala, Sri Lanka (current) → Hatton, Sri Lanka (briefly)
Career
- Occupations
- poet, author, lawyer
- Active Years
- 1972-2022
- Affiliations
- Janatha Estates Development Board
- Influenced By
- John Steinbeck, Anton Chekhov
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Gratiaen Prize | On the Streets and Other Revelations | — | Gratiaen Prize | winner |
Gratiaen Prize
2010
Work:
On the Streets and Other Revelations
Organization:
Gratiaen Prize
Result:
winner
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
On the Streets and Other Revelations
2010 Poetry collectionA collection of 28 poems engaging with pressing social issues including the plight of street children, emphasizing fair-play and justice.
povertysocial inequalitiesstreet childrenfair-playjustice
Sedahamy, Selvakumari and Others
2015 Poetry collectionA collection of sixty-three poems recounting personal experiences witnessed between 2004 and 2014, shedding light on poverty among suppressed women.
women's povertysocial suppression
Tales from the Treehouse
Children's literaturePopular children's stories among children in Sri Lanka.
children
The Adventures of Sokadi: The Line Room Mouse
Children's literatureChildren's story series about a mouse in a line room, receiving rave reviews from critics.
childrenanimals
Way to Go, Rover
2022 StoryStory of a stray dog that survived against all odds in society.
animalsstruggle
Thalaivar at a Labour Conference
1978 Poem collectionPoem collection based on real-life experiences of social disparities in estates.
labourerssocial stratification
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Direct engagement with social issues in poetryIncorporation of perspectives from children and animals
- Recurring Motifs
- povertysocial inequalitiesanimalschildrenexploitation of labourers
Legacy
Renowned Sri Lankan poet who won the Gratiaen Prize in 2010. Known for literary works focusing on poverty, social inequalities, animals, children, and labour exploitation.
Trivia
- An animal lover who convinced her husband to share their home with six dogs and sixteen cats.
- Engages in gardening at her house in Wattala.
- Married to professional lawyer Thirukeswaram Sachithanandan.
- An ardent fan of prominent writers such as John Steinbeck and Anton Chekhov.