Manjula Wediwardena
Manjula Wediwardena is a Sri Lankan creative writer (novelist, poet), and a journalist who wrote against the inhuman suppression and violation of human rights of the Tamils and Tamil journalists during the ethnic war in Sri Lanka. As a result, he was forced to flee from Sri Lanka and has lived as a political refugee in France since 2009.
In 1997, Manjula published his first poetry book, Niruththara Samadiya (Clueless Heart), with Shane Mackelvie and started his journey as a creative writer. While being an exile, he has published ten poetry collections, four novels and three collections of short stories. Apart from the publications, Manjula has contributed to Sri Lankan literature by writing numerous television serials, film and theatre scripts. Many of those have either won or been nominated for prestigious literary awards and prizes in Sri Lanka.
Being one of the pioneers of a major overseas pressure group called Journalists for Democracy in Sri Lanka (JDS), Manjula works as an active journalist while continuing his amazing literary journey.