Clik here to view.
Longing and belonging series: Diaspora shorts
Editors note: Groundviews is very pleased to host the web premiere of Longing and belonging series: Diaspora shorts by Kannan Arunasalam. We’ve featured Kannan’s visually stunning and compelling work...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Longing and Belonging series: From London to Jaffna for the first time
The Nallur festival was in full flow. Kavadi drummers played for the crowds of devotees that swelled around Jaffna’s famous temple. Dotted around me were visitors from abroad. It was wonderful to see...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Longing and Belonging series: The science of planning in Jaffna
The throng of devotees and tourists visiting the Nallur festival had receded and life slowly returned to normal in Jaffna. I stayed behind to see if I could persuade others visiting from abroad to be...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Longing and Belonging series: Returning lives, rebuilding limbs
Dr. Panagamuwa’s workshop was tucked away down a corridor of the Mannar Hospital in the north west of Sri Lanka. When I arrived, the doctor, dressed in his distinctive green theatre overalls, was...
View ArticleWhat does hate speech mean to you?
Featured image courtesy Huffington Post Monday (November 16) marked the International Day of Tolerance. This day is particularly relevant to Sri Lankans, as the Government announced legislation to curb...
View ArticleInside the Blood Bank on World Blood Donor Day
June 14 marks World Blood Donor Day. Groundviews takes a look inside Sri Lanka’s National Blood Transfusion Service, to better understand the process of blood donation – and how it showcases the best...
View ArticleThe View from Madinah
Featured image courtesy Wikimedia Editor’s note: A version of this article first appeared on Hazlitt, and can be accessed here Around the debris of triumphantly post-war Sri Lanka, new research is...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Remains of the Day: 9.5.22
Photograph courtesy of Anoma Wijewardene On this day, one year ago, I was alone in my studio working intensely on some paintings totally unaware of the chaos emerging and gathering momentum in my...
View ArticleThe Fearless Collective: Fighting Oppression with Beauty
Photos courtesy of Kavindu Sivaraj “We believe given the ugliness of oppressions we fight, the creation of beauty is an act of resistance.” The Fearless Collective In 2012, visual artist Shilo Shiv...
View ArticleKilinochchi: A Story of Trauma and Resilience
Photo courtesy of on mas In Himali McInnes’ story, Kilinochchi, which is short listed to win the Commonwealth Short Story Prize for 2023, the protagonist is Nisha, a Tamil tea plucker with a turbulent...
View ArticleRomesh Gunesekera on Connecting with His Homeland
Photo courtesy of Reader’s Digest Sri Lanka authors have been in the limelight recently, hitting a peak with Shehan Karunatilaka’s 2022 Booker Prize for The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida. Kanya...
View ArticlePride Month Gives a Voice to the LGBTQ+ Community
The act of resistance gave rise to Pride. However, repression continues to be a reality wherever Pride is held. Even in places where legal equality has been accomplished and visibility is celebrated,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Living in Fear 40 Years On
Photo courtesy of Chathuranga Pradeep When I confronted my Sinhala neighbour in my broken Sinhala over a certain issue recently, My Tamil neighbour pleaded, “Maureen we are Tamils, we can be in...
View ArticleClik here to view.
We Were One Until We Were Brutally Torn Apart
Photo courtesy of oneislandtwonations It was July 25, 1983 – that fateful day, which altered the trajectory of my life forever. Growing up in Colombo, we had come to accept the sad fact that ethnic...
View ArticleSutharsan’s Journey: When Leaving Does Not Take Away the Pain
What is home to you? Is it a place, a person, a vocation, or something else? Most immigrants, including myself, struggle with this question. Is home the place we were born or the one that accepted us...
View ArticleChristmas During the Civil War
Photo courtesy of Twitter Coming from a Christian family, Christmas is one of the most important festivals for us. I was born in Navaly village in Jaffna to a wealthy Christian family. My grandparents...
View ArticleFiri Rahman Explores Migration, Belonging and the Meaning of Home
Photos courtesy of Saskia Fernando Gallery Firi Rahman grew up with parrots so he is familiar with their looks and understands their habits. On a visit to Paris, it seemed as if the parrots from...
View ArticleClik here to view.
An Uva Uprising: Farmers Fight for Land and Legacy
Photos by Noopura Liyanage Our journey began with a seven hour drive from Colombo. As we travelled, the scenery transformed from verdant mountains to emerald plains bordering the Uva province. We...
View ArticleV. V. Ganeshananthan: Powerful Stories From a Civil War
Photo courtesy of the American Academy in Berlin by Annette Hornischer V. V. Ganeshananthan, also known as Sugi, is the author of the novels Brotherless Night and Love Marriage, which was longlisted...
View Article