Sybil Wettasinghe facts for kids

Kala Keerthi Sybil Wettasinghe (Sinhala: සිබිල් වෙත්තසිංහ) (born October 31, 1927 – died July 1, 2020) was a super talented children's book writer and illustrator from Sri Lanka. Many people think of her as the most important person in children's literature in Sri Lanka.

Sybil Wettasinghe created over 200 children's books. These books have been translated into many different languages! Some of her most famous books are "Child In Me" and "Eternally Yours."

Her Early Life and Family

Sybil Wettasinghe was born on October 31, 1927. She was the second of five children. She spent her first six years in a village called Gintota, near Galle. This is where she started school.

Later, her family moved to Colombo. There, she went to Holy Family Convent, Bambalapitiya when she was six years old. Sybil came from an artistic family. Her grandfather was a sculptor, and her mother was good at making lace. Her father was a building contractor.

In 1955, Sybil married Don Dharmapala Wettasinghe. He was a chief editor at a newspaper company. They had four children and five grandchildren together.

Starting Her Career as an Artist

Sybil's journey as an artist began early. When she was 15, her father sent some of her drawings to an art show. A headmaster named Mr. H. D. Sugathapala saw them. He was so impressed that he asked her to draw pictures for a school book!

At 17, Sybil started working for a newspaper called Lankadeepa. In 1952, she moved to a bigger company, Lakehouse publications. Here, she became the main illustrator for the Janatha newspaper. This made her the first Sri Lankan woman to work full-time as a journalist.

Working at Lakehouse gave her the chance to draw and write for many newspapers. These included the Sunday Observer, Silumina, and Daily News.

Her Unique Style and Inspiration

Sybil Wettasinghe is one of the most loved children's book authors. She is known in Sri Lanka and many other countries. Her drawings are magical, and her stories are simple but very interesting. She was a special gift from Sri Lanka to children all over the world. Her books are still the most read by Sri Lankan children.

Sybil often talked about how much her father helped her. He encouraged her to become an artist, even though her mother wanted her to be an architect. Her father even moved the family to the capital city. This gave Sybil better chances for her education and career.

When she was 15, her father helped show her art at the Colombo Art Gallery. This led to her first professional job. Mr. Sugatapala saw her work and asked her to illustrate a book.

Sybil's husband, Don Dharmapala Wettasinghe, also played a big role. He was a chief sub-editor at Lakehouse when they met. He encouraged her to start writing stories to go with her drawings. Her very first story, "Kuda Hora" (The Umbrella Thief), became one of her most popular works. Sybil believed her husband was behind all her great achievements.

Sybil thought that children being a bit mischievous was a good thing. She felt that being playful was a child's right. Her character, Suuttara Puncha, showed these qualities. Sybil believed humor was very important in children's stories. Through Suuttara Puncha's adventures, she wanted to entertain kids and give advice to adults. She felt that a child lives inside every adult, which is why Suuttara Puncha's stories were popular with grown-ups too.

Sybil valued children's imagination a lot. Some of her published books even included stories told by children aged 3 or 4. For example, "Rathu Car Podda" was a story about a little red toy car. She also drew pictures for children's versions of the Bible and the Buddhist Dhammapadaya.

Sybil was a devoted Buddhist. She was also amazing because she created beautiful illustrations even though she had only one good eye from birth. Her life story is truly inspiring for both children and adults.

Her Wonderful Books

Sybil Wettasinghe started writing stories in 1952 while working at the Janatha newspaper. Her first story was called Kuda Hora. It was for the children's page. This story later became a famous book that won awards both in Sri Lanka and around the world.

After the success of Kuda Hora, Sybil kept writing and illustrating. She created over 200 children's books during her career!

Many of her books have been translated into different languages. These include Japanese, Chinese, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, English, Korean, Dutch, and Tamil.

Awards and Recognition

Sybil Wettasinghe won many awards from all over the world for her children's stories.

• In 1965, her story 'Vesak Lantern' won an Isabel Hutton Prize for Asian Women writers for Children.
• Her first book, 'Kuda Hora' (The Umbrella Thief), was chosen as the Best Foreign Book Award in Japan in 1986.
• In 1987, 'Kuda Hora' also won the Japanese Library Association Award as the most popular children's book. This book was translated into seven languages!
• Sybil held art shows of her work in Japan and Czechoslovakia.
• In 2003, she was invited to a book festival in Norway for famous authors.
• Her work was loved internationally because of its unique Sri Lankan themes and styles.

On March 6, 2020, Sybil Wettasinghe's name was added to the Guinness Book of World Records. This was for her book Wonder Crystal, which had the most alternate endings! Children from all over Sri Lanka sent in 20,000 different endings. The best 1200 were put into a printed book for World Children's Day.

Here are some of her other awards:

• For "The Wesak Lantern": State Literary Award for best English Children's book in 1996.
• For "The Child in Me": The Gratiaen Prize for most Creative English book in 1995.
• Prize for illustrations of "Deeptha Lama Maga" from Biennial of Illustrations in Bratislava (BIB).
• State Literary Award for "Magul Gedara Bath Natho" book in 1971.
• Best Children's Picture Book award for "The Umbrella Thief" by Ministry of Cultural Affairs of Japan, in 1986.
• Most popular Children's Book award by International Library of Children's Literature, in 1987.
• Award for Illustrations of the Sinhala Children's Bible "Deeptha Lama Maga" in 1989, from Biennial of Illustration Bratislava.
• Best Juvenile Children's Book Award for "Meti Gedara Lamay" by the Arts Council of Sri Lanka in 1992.
• Best English Children's Book award for "Wooley Ball" by the Arts Council of Sri Lanka in 1994.
• Gratiaen Prize for best English Children's Book for "The Child in Me" in 1995.
• Hoity the Fox – by the Ministry of Culture and Social Welfare Japan, in 1995.
• "Vishwa Prasadini" Award for Art and Children's Literature from the 1st Female Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, Hon. Sirimavo Bandaranaike, in 1996.
• Award of "Rohana Pradeepa" from the University of Ruhuna in 2003.
• "Galu Pahansilu" – from the Young Men's Buddhist Association Galle, in 2004.
• Kala Keerthi award from the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, in 2005.
• "Solis Mendis Award" in 2007.
• For "Dura Gamanak" The State literary awards.
• Nikkei Asia Prize for Culture in 2012.

Her Passing

Sybil Wettasinghe passed away on July 1, 2020, at the age of 92. She had been receiving medical care in a hospital in Colombo. Her funeral took place on July 3, 2020, at Borella Cemetery.