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Sri Lanka

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4:30 PM-6:30 PM

Books We Carry I — Stories That Shaped Our Feminist Journeys

Talk|Sister Library Closing Event

  • Colombo Public Library

  • Free Entrance
Join us for a reflective conversation with Madhubhashini Disanayaka Ratnayake, Yolani Fernando, and Charitha Liyanage, as they share the books and stories that have inspired and shaped their feminist journeys.

This session explores how literature can transform — how the stories we read and carry within us can open new ways of seeing, nurture empathy, and give language to our own experiences. Together, we’ll reflect on how reading becomes a space of connection, resistance, and renewal.
  • Madhubhashini Disanayaka Ratnayake — award-winning writer, translator, and academic whose work bridges language, literature, and learning in Sri Lanka.
  • Yolani Fernando — political economist and co-founder of Arutha, working at the intersection of governance, development, and public policy.
  • Charitha Liyanage — lecturer, researcher, and literary translator exploring feminism and antifeminism across Sri Lankan and French literature.
Created and led by Indigenous artist aqui Thami, Sister Library is a living, growing art project that celebrates women’s voices and creativity. It’s more than just a library — it’s a space for connection, conversation, and community. Through books, zines, and artworks by women from around the world, Sister Library invites us to share stories, exchange ideas, and dream together.

Flyer


The project is funded by the Franco-German Cultural Fund. Established in 2003 to mark the 40th anniversary of the Élysée Treaty of friendship between France and West Germany, the Fund promotes Franco-German cooperation by supporting cultural and artistic projects.
 

Agenda

  • A special reading performance by Clutch Plays.

    Reading | Join us

    • Colombo Public Library

    Details

  • Sultana’s Dream

    Film Screening | Sister Library

    • Goethe Hall, Colombo 7

    Details

  • Sultana’s Dream

    Film Screening | Sister Library

    • Alliance Française de Colombo

    Details

  • “Her Smile Lingers”

    Reading Group | Dr. Chulani Kodikara leads on Dr. Malathi de Alwis' writings

    • Colombo Public Library

    Details

  • Books We Carry I — Stories That Shaped Our Feminist Journeys

    Talk | Sister Library Closing Event

    • Colombo Public Library

  • The Children of the Little Olive Park!

    Reading Performance | Sister Library Closing Event

    • Colombo Public Library

    Details

  • Books We Carry II — Stories That Shaped Our Feminist Journeys

    Talk | Sister Library Closing Event

    • Colombo Public Library

    Details

  • Saying Hello!

    Book Reading for Children | Closing Event Sister Library

    • Colombo Public Library

    Details