Rotary Club of Colombo sponsors book launch for charity

‘The Heart of the Wild – A Personal Journey,’ which will be unveiled to the public today, 5 December, at the Barefoot Gallery Colombo, is a captivating collection of adventures of amateur photographer and lifelong nature-lover, Nawaz Vilcassim. 

Created in support of the Cancer Institute, Maharagama, Sri Lanka, ‘The Heart of the Wild’ is a tribute to the creations of nature and a token of support for those living beings that are in most need of kindness, understanding and care.  Hence, all proceeds of this beautifully crafted publication will be directed towards alleviating the suffering of Sri Lanka’s cancer victims. This endeavour is supported by the Rotary Club of Colombo, which is actively engaged in the promotion, sale and collection of proceeds that will be donated to the Cancer Hospital.  

Illustrated with sensitive and perceptive photography, this collection of Vilcassim’s encounters of the wild, are as unique as they are memorable. They transport the reader across the world, from Sri Lanka, to India, to Africa and to the Galapagos Islands, to reveal some of the world’s rarest and most endangered animals and beautiful scenery.  The pictures capture the adventures of Vilcassim who braves the perils of the wild, sometimes with a genuine risk to life and limb, to come face-to-face with some of the most unusual creatures to ever walk the earth. 

Designed and developed by Optima Designs Ltd., ‘The Heart of the Wild’ incorporates creative use of designs, colour schemes and layouts to showcase some rare photo opportunities to their best advantage. The author’s anecdotes and stories that accompany many of the photographs, add a rich flavour of detail and creativity about the encounters that makes them entertaining as well as informative.

“This is a particularly noteworthy project as ‘The Heart of the Wild,’ whilst being a wonderful record of one man’s passion to capture the natural world in all its originality, also serves a higher purpose. It is published to collect funds for the treatment of cancer patients. A truly noble cause to support and we are excited to have been able to play such a significant role in making this amazing publication a reality,” said Optima Designs CEO Anjum Cader. 

Vilcassim, a Sri Lankan born Singaporean, a trained lawyer, has spent most of his working life in Singapore after a short stint as Crown Counsel at the Attorney General’s Department in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Throughout his working life in Singapore he maintained close contact with his homeland through regular visits to the island and in his book he recalls fond memories of his childhood growing up in his ancestral home in the historic Galle Fort.