Widely acclaimed as one of the more modern of twentieth-century writers in Sinhala, Simon Navagaththegama’s work is so rich in content and lyrical rendering that he has been embraced by a wide range of literary and ideological schools. He acquainted himself with the larger global literature even as he reflected deeply on many philosophical traditions.
His versatility is demonstrated in the ease with which he moved between genres. He was an excellent short story writer and an accomplished playwright. Some of his narratives were expressly political and show that he was a keen student of power relations and how they unfold in particular social and cultural contexts. He is best known, however, for his “hunter stories” where he explored deeply the human condition and the nature of human relations. His command of Sinhala allowed him to indulge in alluring descriptions whose poetic quality complemented the sobriety of his subject matter.
