The English Literature Societies of St. Thomas’s College Mount Lavinia and Ladies’ College Presents Vellichor 2021

Vellichor; the strange wistfulness of used bookstores, books that capture new worlds within their pages.

The English Literature Societies of St. Thomas’s College Mount Lavinia and Ladies’ College proudly present to you, “Vellichor 2021”, on the 23rd and 24th October.
This two-day programme will begin with four workshops, two for poetry (Poetry Out of the Familiar- Ramya Jirasinghe, Heartbeats of the Poetic Form- Malinda Seneviratne) and two for fiction (Do I Want to be a Professional Writer? – Nadheesha Paulis, how do we Write Effective Fiction? – Madhubashini Ratnayake). Our participants will be given a glimpse into the brilliant minds of our award-winning writers, who will share their experiences and knowledge. It is a great privilege that we were given such an opportunity, and we are extremely grateful for their contribution to this event. There is much to gain for young, aspiring writers from their expertise.
The second day will be a competition for the participants, who will have submitted their own work prior to the event. Anyone within the age range is given this chance, and their pieces of writing will be judged by an extended panel of esteemed Sri Lankan writers. In addition to the panellists on the first day, Romesh Gunasekera, Vihanga Perera and Grace Wickremasinghe will be joining the event. The top three selections will be published in this very magazine. Participants will receive feedback and constructive criticism from these authors on how to improve their writing.

The novels of our panellists have changed the perspective of life for so many people, and we will be giving you the chance to ask them any questions you may have. We hope that this will help applicants understand their path more clearly in the world of writing. The invaluable advice you can receive, will benefit you, and stay with you forever, just like the experience a good book.
Creative writing is art; it carries significance, and every word is of value. Grace Wickremasinghe will show us exactly how, through her spoken word performance that concludes the event.
We encourage all to participate in this event, so that you may be inspired, and develop your passions, so the flame inside you will only burn a little brighter.

A single book has the power to alter your life, and it is within all our capabilities to be the author of our own stories. We hope to encourage your own writing journey through this event and to show you the timeless beauty of reading, so that one day, when you revisit a bookshop, you will be filled with the magical sense of vellichor.
“A good book has no ending.”- R.D. Cumming
Please click the link for registration details:
https://sites.google.com/view/vellichor-2021/home

Sajani Ratnayake
Vellichor Committee