Interview "Discourse on National Issues - The Role of Artists and Academics"

In an interview given around the launch of Contemporary Sri Lankan Literature and Art: The Creation of a New Community in the Aftermath of War, editors Stefan Horlacher and Thilini Meegaswatta discussed how literature, film, visual art and performance can open up new ways of thinking about Sri Lanka’s future.

Speaking on Face to Face, they argued that the arts create a space where difficult or even censored issues can be addressed more freely than in mainstream political discourse and stressed that the collection brings together multiple perspectives on war, memory, justice, identity and the Aragalaya, while also including creative work that complements the academic analysis. Together, the editors presented the book as an invitation to public discussion, critical reflection and dialogue across communities.

The book grew out of a longer collaboration linked to TU Dresden and Sri Lankan academic partners, and focuses on how contemporary artistic practice can help imagine alternative futures beyond ethnic and political binaries. Official publisher material describes the volume as an exploration of how Sri Lankan literature and the arts can help renegotiate national, ethnic and religious identities in the aftermath of war.

The link to the full interview can be found here

The book has been published with Routledge.