Current Publications of the Colombo Institute

Referred Journals:

Some of the discussions held at Colombo Institute forums have also indirectly led to other debates in the country mostly in the Sinhala language.  It is partly in response to these ideas and discussions that the contents and thematic orientations of the Institute’s two refereed journals, Patitha (in Sinahala) and Panuwal (in Thamil) have been formulated.  So far, through these journals, Colombo Institute has focussed its attention on improving what might be called the ‘high end’ of local knowledge production in the social sciences and humanities with an emphasis on the politics of culture.  The publication of these two journals began in 2003. 

The following volumes are currently available:

Patitha, Volume 1 (2003/ Rs. 150.00)
Patitha, Volume 2 (2004/ Rs. 150.00)
Patitha, Volume 3 (2005/ Rs. 250.00)
Patitha, Volume 4 (Under preparation.  To be published in November 2006)

Panuwal, Volume 1 (2003/ Rs. 150.00)
Panuwal, Volume 2 (2004/ Rs. 150.00)
Panuwal, Volume 3 (2005: Under preparation.  To be published in April 2006)

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Books in English:

Alternate Space: Trivial Writings of an Academic by Sasanka Perera (2004). This book contains a collection of forty-eight critical essays dealing with issues such as politics of culture, religion, ethnicity, nationalism, war, visual culture etc.  The essays were originally serialized in the nation daily, The Island between 2002 and 2004 (ISBN 955-1157-00-1/ Rs. 300.00/ Language: English).

Scheduled Publications:

Socio-Cultural Volumes in Sinhala and Thamil

Colombo Institute is at present in the process of planning the publications of three volumes containing key research based essays that address issues of society, politics and culture in Sri Lanka.  The essays are essentially translations of originals that have already been published but are relatively inaccessible to most Sri Lankans because they are written in English and published in journals not easily accessible in the country.  The three volumes have been conceptualised on the following basis:


* Selected Writings on Sri Lankan Society and Culture, 1960s- 1980s: Volume 1 (Edited volume in the Sinhala language. Scheduled for publication in August 2006).

* Selected Writings on Sri Lankan Society and Culture, 1980s- 1990s: Volume 2 (Edited volume in the Sinhala language. Scheduled for publication in August 2006).

* Selected Writings on Sri Lankan Society and Culture, 2000 - 2005: Volume 3  (Edited volume in the Sinhala language. Scheduled for publication in August 2006).

While the Sinhala versions of all three volumes will be published in August 2006, the Thamil versions are expected to be published in 2007.

Sinhala-English and English Sinhala Glossary Key Words and Concepts

In executing its work, the Colombo Institute has clearly understood the difficulties in accessing cutting edge knowledge in the local languages.  One problem has been the unavailability of critical material in the local languages and the other has been the reality that some key concepts, words and ideas are not well developed in these languages.  In this context, the Institute will publish a Sinhala-English and English Sinhala glossary of key words and concepts that the work of the institute itself has generated over the last three years.  The first edition presently under preparation, will be published in august 2006, while it is expected to be updated every two years.  A Thamil version was not conceived as it was considered that South Indian glossaries are available in the local market.


Book on Memory and the Politics of Visual Arts


The Colombo Institute is in the process of making arrangements to publish the work, Artists Remember, Artists Narrate: Politics of Memory and Representation in Sri Lankan Visual Arts by Sasanka Perera.  The book looks at the dynamics of memory in the context of contemporary visuals arts by tracing the political contexts of visual art production as well as the ideological positions of artists. It is specifically located in the wider context of political violence in Sri Lanka where the work of visual artists on one level works as a repository of violent memory.  The book is scheduled for publication in March 2009.


South Asia Journal on Cultural Politics

Given the institute’s long-term interests in the politics of culture and its interest in working across South Asia the Institute is at present working on initiating an annual English language refereed journal with a South Asia focus called Society, Culture and Arts: South Asia Journal on the Politics of Culture that would address issues culture from the perspectives of disciplines such as sociology, history, anthropology, archeology, theatre, architecture and so on.  At one level, it would be formulated on the lines of the institute’s Sinhala and Thamil language refereed journals Patitha and Panuwal. At another level, the journal would incorporate the concerns and suggestions that have already emerged as part of South Asia-wide email discussion that was launched to canvas ideas in 2003.  The intention of the journal is to launch an informed debate across South Asia and beyond both at a theoretical and political level investigating the multiple manifestations of culture, the manner in which culture is perceived and interrogated at different levels of society and to understand how it is usurped in the region and become means of both exclusion and inclusion. The journal consists of a South Asian editorial board, and the first volume was published in August 2008.