Talk by Ajay Kamalakaran on his new book “Colombo: Port of Call”

Tuesday, 24 February 2026 03:59 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Ajay Kamalakaran will be in conversation with Uditha Devapriya about his latest book, Colombo: Port of Call (Penguin India, 2026) on Sunday, 1 March 2026, at the Lakmahal Community Library, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Colombo: Port of Call is an attempt to look at Colombo and Sri Lanka through the stories of well-known international figures who visited the port. People like Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Don Bradman, Anton Chekhov, Mark Twain, and Mahatma Gandhi were among the many who visited Sri Lanka and left behind their impressions of the land.

Deftly narrated, this book is a social document recording the racial hierarchies and imperialist impressions of some of the visitors and a throwback to a nostalgic era of luxury hotels, high tea, and much else.

The discussion between Ajay and Uditha will touch on various aspects of the book and the writing of the book. The session will be moderated by Hirun Matheesha.