By Gayanga Dissanayaka –

Yasasi Malmeewala’s career is in the field of science but her passion also resides in the art of writing. She also has a deep interest in films, theatre, volunteering, history and nature. To her, writing has always been more of a reflex and less of a choice. Writing started out for her back during her childhood, as diary entries, letters to her family on birthdays, and letters to friends. She believes that writing came more organically to her and that the most natural habit of hers is to jot down her feelings or any incident that happened during the day in her journal. It was her way of catching the light before it changed. Today she has published her debut book, “Coming of Age” – a collection of poetry and prose, at the age of twenty-five.

“I was also a student in an institute of speech and drama so in that space I was surrounded by poetry, prose and stage dramas. All of this influenced the love I have for art. Apart from that, I always loved watching films – the cinematography, the craft of the artists…” she said. Art for her, wasn’t just something one looks at on a wall. For her, art became a way of life. Writing has been a sacred passion to her and she has always been a bit of a curious child about the world and how people perceive it. “There are different subjects that excites me. I love the period of research that precedes the actual act of writing down a piece. Whether it’s a political essay, a poem or a short story, I love that experimentation. As a storyteller, I think I’m someone who gets inspired by all the feelings we all feel as humans. Writing in a way, is where I understand why I think the way I do,” said the author.

Yasasi’s journey into poetry is very unplanned. She discovered poetry late since she started out writing fiction and short stories. She recalls reading Rupi Kaur’s Milk and Honey when she was around fifteen or sixteen. That was the first time she realised that the boundaries of poetry can be pushed, and that it didn’t have to look like what was taught in school. “It really intrigued me. However, I only started writing my own poetry when I moved to a different country to start studying, and when I began living on my own,” Yasasi explained. “We all have different ways we navigate life and the challenges we face. So I think during that whole process in my journey, poetry was something I had a very natural inclination towards. In the beginning it was reactionary. If I felt a sudden sharp frustration, it would transmute itself into a poem.”

As Yasasi grew older as an individual, she started to value stillness and wanted to understand what “self” meant. She felt as if she was heading towards more of a grounding place both spiritually and mentally where she was more aware about herself as a person. Therefore, solitude naturally became the genesis of her ideas. Today, she simply writes because it just feels right. “it’s also amazing when a poem or something that I wrote on a random day becomes a bridge between me and a complete stranger. And usually those little moments become the starting point of really insightful and beautiful conversations,” she said.

The idea of writing a book was always something that Yasasi had in her mind. She always loved the idea of publishing what she writes. It started out with publishing for university magazines, a few Australian magazines, and online blogs because that was the quickest way she could publish.

“I always loved listening to people, reading books and learning something new from someone else. To me, Arundhati Roy’s books were so inspiring because the way she breaks down complex systematic issues in simple language is very lucid. By reading her work, I also get incredibly motivated to do research before I write anything. To present facts in a way that anyone can understand,” explained the author. “When it comes to poetry, poets like Patti Smith, Sylvia Plath are just a delight to read. It’s always a learning experience for me with people like that. I always had that love for a well-placed punchline and a good metaphor, so I like playing with words when I write.”

“When I look back at my teenage years, and where I’m standing now there is a huge difference. In the way I think, and the way I see the world,” mentioned Yasasi. “And this is something universal that everyone goes through. That gradual growth has influenced my poetry in so many ways. My book is titled, “Coming of Age” because I wanted to add pieces I wrote where I could see changes in the way I think. Even though my writing seems like personal stories, readers have told me that they felt connected to them.”

The book includes poetry and prose that touch on recurring themes. It has bits of characters that the author got inspired from, and there are completely alien situations to her real life included in it as well. She has also touched on a few literary figures that she admires, and a few political issues that are centered in Sri Lanka. “Anyone who is a young adult and over can read Coming of Age and hopefully relate to it. There are also pieces that I have written about mental health, love, family, relationships, the idea of self, grief, girlhood, loneliness, and also spirituality. I also talk about the importance of literature, art, and films. So, in a way, everyone has something in this book,” mentioned Yasasi.

“There have been moments where I have thought that I should hold back what I say. More than in poetry, in prose I face those hesitations since it’s not as concise as poetry,” said the author. Writing this book isn’t something she took a year off to do as well because everything that’s in the book has been pieces she has written at a normal pace, during her regular life. “Some of these are pieces that I wrote three or four years ago, some last year, some four months ago and there were definitely time periods where I didn’t write at all. So writing this book didn’t happen in this quiet, dimly-lit room with a scenic view. To me, a majority of the poems in this book have been poems I have written on my way home on train-rides. There were weeks where I wrote very spontaneously.” said the author.

Getting to the publishing stage of the book was also a major milestone for Yasasi. Throughout that whole process, she mentioned how she learnt a lot, which was very fun and exciting for her. “The final result was so worth it. I remember the first time I actually saw the book. I was with my dad at The Jam Fruit Tree Publications and I was so stoked to see the cover, all glossy, tangible and new as an actual book cover. It was mind-blowing. Getting to see the little polaroids that I chose inside the book, getting to see my words and my original thoughts in a book was surreal. When I look back at it now, it was indeed a magical moment.

“I hope my book gives a chance for people to slow time down for a moment. And I hope they get to be comfortable with the idea of solitude and really understand the importance of it. I also hope my readers will never forget their inner-child,” noted Yasasi. “I feel like we live in a world that is terrified of stillness but it’s only in that silence we really start to see ourselves, and then it slowly gets easier to see what’s around us. I hope what I have written makes people think. I hope they start questioning my way of thinking or their own stances about certain aspects in life. I’m open to soulful conversations and would love to hear constructive criticism as well. I invite anyone who has read my book to share their feedback and their thoughts with me through my email – yas.malmex@gmail.com . To me, meaningful discussion is refreshing and to spark that opportunity through my work has always been my intention,” said the author.