The 2026 State Literary Awards ceremony, which honours literary figures who have enriched Sri Lanka’s literary landscape through their outstanding contributions, was held this afternoon (08) at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH) in Colombo, under the patronage of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.
The awards ceremony was jointly organised for the 67th time by the Ministry of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs, the Department of Cultural Affairs, the Arts Council of Sri Lanka and the State Literary Sub-Council.
A large number of writers received State Literary Awards across more than 50 categories in recognition of their outstanding contributions to Sri Lankan literature during 2025.
Meanwhile, three distinguished literary figures were presented with the prestigious “Sahithyaratna” honorary award by President Dissanayake. The award, which is presented only once in a person’s lifetime, recognises exceptional contributions to the country’s literary field.
Poet Parakrama Kodituwakku received the award for his contribution to Sinhala literature, poet Somasundaram Pillai Padmanathan was honoured for his contribution to Tamil literature, while Emeritus Professor E. A. Gamini Fonseka received the award for his contribution to English literature.
The 2026 collection of award-winning literary works, the commemorative publication and the 2026 literary publication featuring works in Sinhala, Tamil and English were also presented to the President.
Addressing the event, Minister of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs Dr. Hiniduma Sunil Senevi said Sri Lanka had been able to enter a path of progress during the past two years, describing the period as one of social transformation.
He said the contribution made by the arts and cultural sector towards this social transformation, which he described as a civilisational change and an investment, was significant.
The Minister said the government’s cultural policy was aimed at building “an elevated cultural life and an empathetic people.” He noted that the Sri Lanka Arts Council and its nine sub-councils were engaged in a wide range of activities to achieve this objective.
Referring to the three recipients of the Sahithyaratna award, Minister Senevi praised their longstanding contributions to Sri Lankan literature.
He highlighted Parakrama Kodituwakku’s literary career, which began with the poetry collection Podi Malliye in 1973 and continued through his latest collection, Sanda Eliyehi Waradak Nehe, published in 2026.
The Minister also praised Professor E. A. Gamini Fonseka for dedicating his career to teaching the English language and literature, while noting that poet Somasundaram Pillai Padmanathan had received numerous literary honours for his contribution to Tamil literature.
Minister Senevi further said several achievements had been made in Sri Lanka’s arts and cultural sector over the past two years.
These included the establishment of a national allocation to promote contemporary art, improvements to facilities at cultural centres for people in remote areas, and amendments to the Sri Lanka Arts Council Act.
He said steps were also being taken to amend or introduce five additional pieces of legislation under the ministry to ensure that the arts and cultural sector could move forward in line with modern requirements.
The Minister added that an additional Rs. 50 million had been allocated through the previous Budget for the literary sector, with the funds to be used to provide necessary equipment to multicultural centres, particularly benefiting people in remote villages interested in the arts.
He also noted that, for the first time in Sri Lanka’s history, the National Film Corporation had succeeded in submitting a film for consideration for the Academy Awards.
Minister Senevi extended his congratulations to all literary figures who received State Literary Awards at the ceremony.
