K.K. Saman Kumara

K. K. Saman Kumara is a controversial writer in modern Sri Lankan literature. He is a short story writer, novelist, poet, and critic.
As an Author
He was published two novels, three collections of short stories, one collection of poems and three children’s novels, one of these are a tri logical novel. He is not only creative writer but also critic and translator. He was co translator of Vladimir Nabokov’s Lolita. And compile encyclopedia about modern literature and also critical work about all the novels of Sri Lankan literary genius Simon Nawagaththegama. His writings place in magical realist, post modernist genre of contemporary Sri Lankan literature. His writings are not only inspired by post modernism, surrealism, existentialism, magical realism, but also psychoanalyze, post colonialism, feminism - post feminism, anthropology, traditional Buddhist literature, folktales and fairytales. His contemporary writer Jagath Marasinghe compiled a book about him ‘Sihina kalpitha sahithyaya ,striya, lingikathwaya saha grahacharaya’.As a literary critic his criticism had published in many news papers and magazines also by his lecturers and papers. He was mainly analyzed masters of modern Sinhala literature Simon Nawagaththegama, Ajith Thilakasena, Tennyson Perera and Mahagama Sekara. He wrote a column entitle Sarpayage Coloma in Mawbima news paper. Its byline came from his nick name ‘Sarpaya’. Etymology of that nick name was his first collection of short stories ‘Sarpayaku ha satan weda’. After then his fans, friends also media call him as a “Sarpaya” which mean serpent in Sinhala.
He reject formal education in school and studied informally not only literature, drama, cinema, fine arts, criticism , aesthetics but also philosophy, psycho analyze, semiotics, anthropology and politics. He was a cultural political activist among youth about past two decade. He had worked in a Trotsky party. He is not nationalist but post colonialist , his main point on that Sri Lanka is not only subjected western colonialism but also Indian colony before two thousand five hundred years. He is going back to Ravana, Tantra in prehistory.
Biography
He was born in September 4, 1963, Colombo, Sri Lanka. The doctors said he will not survive alive. His birth weight is terrible. He was put incubator in long period. Finally doctors decided it is useless. But unknown nurse fight to save him. He wasn’t breastfed child and he was physically weak child. His father is a laborer. He worked in a major leftist party (on Trotsky line) in Sri Lanka. His mother felt in some psychiatric problem, like chronic hysteria. Since that he don’t like to home except while father in the house. His mother died when he was twelve years because of mad mongoose bitten her. About one and half year his father married second wife. Unfortunately that step mother felt in chronic hysteria too. He was alienated from home and relations of all the family tree. His life was filled by difficulties until now. He married a feminist at first after living together and divorce after while. Then married second time Geetha Kumari Munasingha, authoress of ‘Wildfire among the petals’ ero-romantic novella about teenage lesbian love affair. Now they have six year old daughter Rasu Sulangi Thumbelina. They live in suburb near to Colombo, capital of the country.
His landmarks on Sinhala literature
Sarpayaku ha satan veda (Struggle with the serpent -1984) the first collection of short stories by K.K. Saman Kumara, a land mark of Sri Lankan modern literature. The book entitled by a short story with same name. It is a surrealistic story about incestuous relationship between father and daughter. This story translated in to English “struggle with a serpent” and published in Modern Sri Lankan Short Stories volume 2.
“As I observed earlier the stories span a period of nearly 75 years and the collection provides a window to a body of literature that is interesting and colorful. Beginning with a story by Martin Wickremasinghe dealing with a poor farmer and his ox, which is clear-cut narrative ,we get stories like ‘Struggle with a serpent’, by Saman Kumara that is a ghastly and mawkish story about a certain relationship between a father and his daughter .It is an allegory of human passion, dreadful in its very conception.
But,of course, most of the stories in the present collection are not so adventures and daring like Saman Kumara’s.” -Edmund Jayasuriya (Author,Critic)
Esanda mama bala sitiyemi
Esanda mama bala sitiyemi (Then I was been waiting-1994) his second short story collection marked in magical realism and post modernism in Sri Lankan literature. It is also new graphical approach carried in to Sinhalese short story like concrete poetry. It was controversial and many prudish authorities tried send to grave this book. But it has been lying as a giant shadow of modern Sinhalese short story.
“The change happened on our thinking universe in this era which capitalism expanding by globalization, illustrate well from that work Not only esthetic genres but also theoretical genres mixed by Saman in thinking - marketing mode more seriously than Arundathe Roy. who is only supposed about as that things until now even in the world Umberto Eco in his novel Foucault’s pendulum.”
- Deepthi Kumara Gunarathna
Neranjane Isnane
Neranjane Isnane (Bathing on the Neranjana -2000) is a controversial novella by K.K. Saman kumara. It is owned to magical realist, post modernist and post feminist genres. It’s about struggle of female Buddha. Tantric metaphor had been converting to post feminist metaphor. All the authorities claim to band it and some claim to exile the writer, and finally send the book to underground.
“Instead Theravada taboo Saman kumara want giving the Buddha hood to women. Saman imagined the way to be Buddha for fulfill this stubborn task. That is not the way for the Buddha hood in Theravada text." Tennyson Perera. (Author,Critic)
Naga Maru Ala (Yam killed the younger sister-2000) is a collection of poems, non poems and anti poems .it is controversial collection of Sinhalese poetry.
“Most of his poems had been written about modern women. He highlight the way how women entangled in social chaos, satirically in sometime. Saman Kumara frequently discus about social suppression of the women but he emphasis same time, he is not a feminist. ”
Nihal Rathnayaka.
Children’s literature
“Ape Punchi Rajjuruvo”( Our little King ) “Punchi Eva saha billa” (Little Eva had the kidnaper)-1996, “Punchi Sandawathiyage kathandaraya 1/2/3 (Cronical of the little sandavathiya-2000) his children’s novels carried out Sri Lankan children’s literature into new way.
Sinhala jathiye wansha kathawa, Sansararanyaya saha Simon Nawagaththegama. ( Legend of Sinhalese nation Sansararanyaya and Simon Nawagaththegama-2008) is a book of literary criticism. It is about all novels of the Sri Lankan modern literary master Simon Nawagaththegama. A lack had in contemporary Sinhalese literary criticism filled by this book. All the western and eastern, pre modern, modern and postmodern theoretical trends carried out from it as a theoretical carnival.
Bibliography
* Sarpayaku ha satan veda (Struggle with the serpent -Collection of short stories 1984)
* Esanda mama bala sitiyemi (Then I was been waiting -Collection of short stories - 1995)
* Naga Maru Ala (Yam killed the younger sister - collection of poetry -2000)
* Sandallen vatee miya giyaha owhu(They was died by felling from the balcony - Collection of short stories - 2000)
* Pini Ahurak Ihiruna(Hand full of dew had gone Scatter -Novel -2000)
* Neranjane Isnane (Bathing on the Neranjana -Novella - 2000)
* Ape Punchi Rajjuruvo (Our little King -Teenage story - 1996)
* Punchi Eva saha billa ( Little Eva had the kidnaper-Teenage novel - 1997)
* Punchi Sandawathiyage kathandaraya (Cronical of the little sandavathiya-Trylogical teenage novel - 2000)
* Nuthanawadaya vethata saha in obbata (Toward modernism and beyond- Litterery criticism - 1999)
* Sinhala jathiye wansha kathawa, Sansararanyaya saha Simon Nawagaththegama ( Legend of Sinhalese nation Sansararanyaya and Simon Nawagaththegama-literery critisism-2008)
Books Written
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* Sihina kalpitha sahithyaya,Striya, Lingikathwaya Saha Grahacharaya
(The fantastic literature, Women, Sexuality and astronomy-A window to the creative works of K.K.SAMAN KUMARA ; By Jagath Marasingha -2000)
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