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"Blink": Over the years

  The history of English literary magazines in Sri Lanka dates back to the 1940s, a period in which the English graduates were highly encouraged by the English departments of the local universities to showcase their critical thinking skills and creativity. Harvest (1945-46), Symposium (1948-50), Points of view (1952) and Community (1954-58/ 1962-63) were founded by the graduates in English who were eager to contribute to the field of English language and literature. However, the socio-political context of the country after eight years of gaining independence (1956s) saw certain upheavals in the paradigm of English education in Sri Lanka, both in the school and university levels. Professor D.C.R.A. Goonetilleke writes to the Encyclopaedia of Postcolonial Literatures in English (2005) that “English was displaced from its pre-eminent position as the official language and as the medium of instruction in schools and universities”. Therefore, the literary journals which gained pub...
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Recent posts
  T aking a Stand: The Department of English and it's Anti -Ragging Policy  W hite hairbands, rubber slippers, plastic files, thel bedima, bucket eka, card eka—the undergraduates of the University of Kelaniya are all too familiar with the notorious practices and terminology that constitute the so-called process of initiating new undergraduates into the university. This practice of initiation, in other words, is known as ragging.  Ragging is considered to be a rite of passage for all new entrants; it is seen to be a practice that fosters close bonds between first-year undergraduates and their seniors; and an intrinsic facet of the subculture within institutions for higher education—by some. The Department of English of the University of Kelaniya, however, does not see eye to eye with such claimants. It recognizes ragging as an ‘act which causes or is likely to cause physical or psychological injury, fear or mental pain in an undergraduate’ (University of Colombo) (n.d), an...
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The Department of English: A Real Space for Intellectual and Political Empowerment

                                                                      The Department of English of the University of Kelaniya is a stalwart space of knowledge, guidance and empowerment amid politically turbulent and ideologically stagnant realities that seek to centralize intellect and politics to the dominant ideologies. Situated within an integrated ambience of critical postmodernist and feminist sentiments, the Department of English enables self-empowerment and refinement of its students through the variety of courses offered through its General and Honours degree programmes. These courses prepare students for a life of critical engagement with the world around them while encouraging self-reflexivity and self-actualization. Courses in the first year of the General Degree programme offer compulsory modules s...
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The ESA Bash: A Night to Remember!

  Dazzling lights. Stunning dresses and suits. Good food. Good music. And last but not least, a good time. These are the things that make up the ESA Bash, the most awaited and the most glamorous event of the Department of English, University of Kelaniya. The ESA Bash, which is annually organized, is yet another fine product of the English Students’ Association of the English Department. Hosted typically in the university premises with the participation of the staff, lecturers and the students of the department, it is a night where everyone enjoys themselves without a doubt. Interestingly, the ESA Bash is not just any event; like everything else we do at the department, it has got a meaningful purpose behind its existence. Thus, the crux of the ESA Bash constitutes of two purposes. The first reason is to give the freshers of the department a warm welcome. Being a fresher is an intimidating experience where everything is an unfamiliar and a new experience. Hence, this event is orga...
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Space for Dialogue

 “I don’t know. What do you think?”  “Can someone comment on that?”  “Let’s have a discussion!” The moment my consciousness is being evoked and the moment my perspective is validated within what I learn, had never sounded as liberating, empowering or validating to me, and my existence as a student suffering from what I call passive-learner’s-syndrome, before I entered the Department of English. In fact, it sounded threatening to my whole existence as a student educated in the banking system of education. The first time I was asked to give my opinion in front of the whole classroom, it was a moment of silence, wandering where to find the perfect answer the teacher expected, or the answer the teacher would later fill your brain with, or, the answer I was supposed to remember to repeat when asked. A moment of unease and terror. As a first year student at the Department of English, this was my initial reaction to being exposed into a circle where my opinion as a student was n...
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Open Mic Evening 2020 - Into the Virtual Space!

                   The Department of English of the University of Kelaniya is a space that fosters creativity, understanding and deep values that help us become better human beings. It is a space where students are inspired to be fearless in the pursuit of knowledge and their goals in life. It nurtures the curiosity and desire to explore our own individuality, the larger society or the world we live in. The Department of English consists of a community of inspiring and dedicated lecturers and undergraduates who constantly strive to achieve excellence through their passion to learn, adapt and create new knowledge. The teaching methods and material, principles, academic standards maintained by the department along with the activities and events conducted are reflective of these qualities. The Open Mic Evening 2020 was one such event that brought to light the brilliance our department has successfully generated.       ...
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  A Meeting At Crossroads: When English Meets The Interdisciplinary. There is a strange and narrow-minded misconception that the bearer of an English degree steps out of University with the knowledge and abilities privy to exceptional writers and English speakers. The bearer of an English degree supposedly walks down a path that sharply forks into either ‘teacher’ or ‘writer’, and some others question English students as to what they can do at all with their degree. As an English undergraduate, the number of times I have been asked these questions are too many, and I grit my teeth and bite my tongue instead of replying with the saying, ‘ignorance is bliss’! I believe that this misconception stems from the widely accepted belief that an English degree comprises of courses that delve only into language, grammar, writing, literature and poetry, which cannot hold a candle (or even the very idea of one), to the STEM subjects. Of course this is part and parcel of the package that is an E...
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