Writer. THE SAINT OF BRIGHT DOORS (2023, Nebula, Ignyte, Crawford, Locus awards) and RAKESFALL (2024, Le Guin Prize and Otherwise award) https://xitter.cf/t.co/J8htFVNAe0

Colombo
Joined February 2010
The full video of my conversation with @V_V_G about her stories in the context of the 'kadalodikal' collection. Use the CC button to turn on subtitles. youtu.be/7G3VbIpW3xQ
2
2
117
Vajra Chandrasekera retweeted
Have ordered this book, awaiting with excitement. But yes, many Jews warned against what Zionism would bring with it, especially to Western Jews. They saw it as a form of expelling Jews from Europe's body politic.
🇮🇱🇺🇸 A Pulitzer winner says Zionism began as a Protestant fantasy a century before Herzl, and the Jews who warned it would bring endless war were branded self-hating... a new book brings them back from exile Palestine was 95 to 97% non-Jewish when the movement began, and one early leader's goal was to make it as Jewish as England is English, so Jewish critics called the project a catastrophe from day one. Benjamin Moser, whose grandfather fled Nazi Germany in 1938, says: "Zionism has nothing to do with the Holocaust. Zionism exploited the Holocaust." Benjamin says Hannah Arendt hinted at Zionist dealings with the Nazis in Eichmann in Jerusalem and was hounded so completely that the Jewish press barely marked her death. He argues a Star of David on every tank means the backlash to Israel's conduct puts all Jews in grave danger, which is why the anti-Zionist Jews he writes about are screaming themselves hoarse to say this is not us. @WeTheBrandon
6
35
2
147
6,248
Vajra Chandrasekera retweeted
'At Jaffna Customs office, books dealing with political subjects get singled out for scrutiny. The presence of words such as “war,” “military,” “gun,” “Tigers,” and “mass grave” is enough to detain a book.' - A joint appeal by the Eelam Tamil writers. kirishanth.com/?p=3925
1
23
1
21
715
Vajra Chandrasekera retweeted
Customs said they don't have a list of confiscated books over the years when @ExaminerLK RTI'ed for them. There's effectively a set of banned books, but nobody knows for sure what they are.
Adding further to the list of censored Tamil books, on Thursday (22), Sri Lanka custom officials in Jaffna refused to release 30 copies of the Tamil novel "Thorai" by Pradeep Kunaradnam alias Yatharthan & informed the author to obtain a "permission from the Ministry of Defence".
3
4
200
Vajra Chandrasekera retweeted
Adding further to the list of censored Tamil books, on Thursday (22), Sri Lanka custom officials in Jaffna refused to release 30 copies of the Tamil novel "Thorai" by Pradeep Kunaradnam alias Yatharthan & informed the author to obtain a "permission from the Ministry of Defence".
5
18
3
15
1,538
Vajra Chandrasekera retweeted
If you ask anyone in Gaza if they know The Sameer Project, they will probably know us from our buses. Mostly because they’re the most visible but also a favorite for people as we are the only group providing this service. Contribute here: chuffed.org/project/113222-t… One of our buses transports kidney dialysis patients daily to Al Shifa Hospital and back to their homes. The Sameer Project bus takes two groups per day for kidney dialysis treatment. Your support to this project offers the opportunity to patients to get treatment because otherwise many wouldn’t be able to afford the transport, and wouldn’t be able to walk long distances. Never underestimate how far your donation can go. Give to our General Fund today: chuffed.org/project/113222-t… Other ways to donate include: paypal.me/mahertali (Paypal option, please make sure to add a message saying "GENERAL") account.venmo.com/u/Maher-Al… (Venmo option, please make sure to add a message saying "GENERAL")
3
162
5
254
2,362
Vajra Chandrasekera retweeted
1. Let’s break down Minister Harshana Nanayakkara’s rebuttal of criticism of the Prevention of Organised Crimes Bill. Contrary to what the Minister says, the Bill does empower a police officer to arrest a person if the officer thinks a person’s style of dress
Can people be jailed under the proposed Organized Crime Prevention Bill for having tattoos or long hair? Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara clarifies the proposed law in Parliament, rejecting claims circulating on social media.
3
33
5
47
4,683
Vajra Chandrasekera retweeted
John Attridge@John_AttridgeOct 19
The author is dead! (Crowd cheers) But the author function lives on (crowd boos) Rather than attributing the text to a single origin point, we as critics must map the complex web of institutions and power relations that constitute "authorship" (crowd yawns, disperses)
23
666
25
4,411
65,754
Vajra Chandrasekera retweeted
I was shortlisted for a prize that really helped my career. Years later, a winning story faced AI accusations because of Pangram. Writing like mine was derided as following "postcolonial formula" so I examined all the winning stories
3
33
1
219
21,991
Vajra Chandrasekera retweeted
🚨The first expert report on the findings at Sri Lanka’s largest recorded mass grave was handed over to court today. The 190 page report by Prof Raj Somadeva and Archaeologist Anusha Wanninayake analyses the findings at Chemmani where 110 days of excavations recovered 583 bodies.
3
4
261
Vajra Chandrasekera retweeted
#PreventionOfOrganisedCrimes In ‘War on Rights: Protection from Organized Crimes Bill’ I explain why the proposed law will not successfully address the drug problem. Instead, it increases police powers and undermines due process and fair trial rights. ft.lk/columns/War-on-rights-…
1
15
16
712
Vajra Chandrasekera retweeted
A joint press conference by writers, journalists & trade unionists is NOW in progress at Dr. NM Perera Centre in Colombo, calling on Sri Lankan authorities to respect the recent ruling made by @HRCSriLanka & release Tamil writer Theepachelvan's books seized by Sri Lanka Customs.
UPDATE: 1/2 On Monday (12), @HRCSriLanka issued a ruling that by detaining 2 books by Tamil author P. Theepachelvan, Sri Lanka Customs has violated "fundamental right to the freedom to enjoy & promote his own culture" & ordered to "forthwith release all the copies."
17
16
857
Vajra Chandrasekera retweeted
The social media discourse around Saudi Arabia executing two Bangladeshis is stuck on whether they kissed, had sex or did something else. Who gives a fuck? No consensual act warrants execution. Saudi Arabia is a barbaric state and this is nothing but state terrorism.
89
1,430
28
10,746
137,929
Vajra Chandrasekera retweeted
I have plenty of criticisms of NPP govt. Yet I don't want it to fall over what's happening today. Then I remember JVP's role alongside National Bhikkhu Front in opposing PTOMS, the North-East merger, & promoting war as the solution to the ethnic question. You reap what you sow.
3
6
32
2,521