International Perspectives of Sri Lanka
Perhaps drawn to the lush landscapes and layered history, Sri Lanka has sparked the curiosity of many international writers. From colonial memoirs to modern travelogues and fiction, the island has been viewed through many outsider lenses—sometimes exoticised, sometimes romanticised, sometimes critically examined.
Besides the fact we are heavily reliant on tourism, isnt it important to understand how the world perceives us and what shapes their view? We have picked 5 books written by international authors about Sri Lanka, that reflect not only the island itself, but also the assumptions, fascinations, and blind spots of those who attempt to capture it from afar.
The Pavilion Clouds- an examination into the role of women in colonial Ceylon through a lighthearted, witty tale - perhaps not your classic AMS
The Village in the Jungle - believed to be the first book written by foreigners from a local perspective. Insightful and interesting, Woolf was in charge of Hambantota district in early 1900’s
The Scorpion Fish - A haunting blend of travel writing, poetic prose, and magical realism. The author, on the edge of mental collapse, portrays a bleak and hallucinatory vision of Galle and its disenchanted inhabitants - certainly a different perspective!
The Tea Planter’s Wife - A 1920’s historical romance through the eyes of a young Englishwoman, whose gradual awakening to the new culture around her is filtered through a distinctly colonial and often idealised lens
Broke'n'English - a candid and humorous memoir of a Brit opening a guesthouse on the island, navigating cultural clashes and daily frustrations through an outsider’s lens marked by wit—and occasional privilege