The 67th State Literary Awards Ceremony was held today (8) at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall in Colombo, with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake as the chief guest, honouring writers and literary personalities for their outstanding contributions to Sri Lanka’s literary sphere.

The annual ceremony was jointly organised 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.

State Awards were presented to a large number of writers in recognition of outstanding literary works published in 2025, across more than 50 categories.

The highlight of the ceremony was the presentation of the prestigious “Sahithyaratna” Lifetime Achievement Awards by President Dissanayake to three distinguished literary figures whose contributions have enriched Sri Lankan literature in Sinhala, Tamil and English.

Veteran poet Parakrama Kodituwakku received the award for his contribution to Sinhala literature, while distinguished Tamil poet Somasundarampillai Padmanathan was honoured for his contribution to Tamil literature. Emeritus Professor E. A. Gamini Fonseka received the award for his contribution to English literature.

The Sahithyaratna Award is a lifetime distinction conferred on a literary personality only once.

Addressing the gathering, Minister of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs Dr. Hiniduma Sunil Senevi said Sri Lanka had embarked on a path of progress over the past two years, describing the period as one of social transformation and civilisational change.

He said the arts and cultural sector had made a significant contribution to this transformation and described investment in the sector as an investment in the country's future.

“Our arts and cultural policy is centred on the vision of ‘An elevated cultural life – an empathetic people,’” the Minister said, noting that the Arts Council of Sri Lanka and its nine affiliated subcouncils were undertaking extensive programmes in line with this vision.

Referring to the three Sahithyaratna recipients, Dr. Senevi highlighted their longstanding contributions to Sri Lankan literature.

He noted that Parakrama Kodituwakku began his poetry career with the collection “Podi Malliye” in 1973 and had continued contributing to the development of Sri Lankan poetry, with his latest collection, “Sandaeliyehi Waradak Nehe,” further reflecting his literary contribution. He also acknowledged the poet's role as a social activist and mentor.

The Minister described Emeritus Professor E. A. Gamini Fonseka as a lifelong teacher of the English language and literature, while recognising Somasundarampillai Padmanathan's contribution to Tamil literature and his receipt of several literary distinctions, including the “Yaal”, “Siva Tamil” and “Yaal Muthu” awards.

Dr. Senevi also outlined several developments in the country's arts and cultural sector during the past two years.

Among them, he highlighted the formulation of a national framework for the promotion of contemporary art, improvements to facilities at cultural centres, particularly for communities in remote areas, and the completion of amendments to the Arts Council of Ceylon Act.

He said five other pieces of legislation under the Ministry were also being amended or newly formulated to ensure that the arts and cultural sectors could respond effectively to contemporary needs.

The Minister further said that Rs. 50 million allocated through the previous Budget for the development of the literary sector was being used to obtain equipment for multicultural centres, with particular attention to the needs of people interested in the arts in remote villages.

He also announced that, for the first time in Sri Lanka's history, the National Film Corporation had prepared a film to represent the country for consideration for the Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars.

The collection of books that received literary awards in 2026, together with the commemorative publication and the Literary Journal 2026 published in Sinhala, Tamil and English, were also presented to President Dissanayake during the ceremony.

The Minister extended his congratulations to all recipients of the State Literary Awards and paid tribute to those contributing to the development of Sri Lanka's literary and cultural landscape.

Members of the Maha Sangha and other religious leaders, Deputy Minister of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs Gamagedara Dissanayake, Ministry Secretary Prince Senadheera, Director of Cultural Affairs K. S. Dilhani, Chairman of the Arts Council of Sri Lanka Keerthi Welisarage, Chairman of the State Literary Advisory Board Kamal Perera, as well as scholars, writers, artists and other distinguished guests, attended the ceremony.