By Gayanga Dissanayaka –

Born into a middle-class family that benefited from the free education system of Sri Lanka, Don Asela Jayasekera grew up in an environment where literature in both Sinhala and English was within his reach, and this sense of gratitude, among many other things, runs deep within him. His father, who had the privilege of receiving an English education, also influenced Don’s intellectual sphere, inspiring him often to look into history, mythology, and classic literature. This early exposure in Don’s life greatly enriched his reading experiences and paved the way for a lifetime passion for storytelling and culture. Today, he is the author of Beyond Borders: Sri Lankan trails in the UK published by The Jam Fruit Tree Publications which is a journal that showcases the unwavering dedication, commitment and patriotism of Sri Lankan expatriates in the UK. “I came across so many patriotic Sri Lankan people who have done so much for the cause of the country and also people who carried a deep longing and love for their motherland. They often disappear, go unnoticed or won’t be remembered. This is what urged me to write this book. I wanted to make it notable for the others through the characters and legacies I encountered.”

For Don, this book is an attempt to preserve the memory of these people for the next generation or the new expatriates who will be coming to the UK. “What people mostly see are the dinner dances and black tie events, but behind that lies immense effort and painstaking work to get this community to this platform. To create this unity and harmony and harness it, so much struggle was required. At the core, that was Don’s objective with his book as well.

Apart from being the editor at the school magazine, Don had the opportunity to work as a journalist at a human rights association after AL’s, as well. He recalled how he earned around hundred rupees for each report during that time. “When I was really young I remember how I tried to write a small book inspired by Arthur C. Clark. My English teacher also used to call me young Arthur C. Clark. However my parents never had the resources or contacts to publish it. So this book feels very close to heart in so many ways,” said the author.

Don wanted to write something that was different. He explained how these characters are valuable individuals in their own unique ways. “Just like I have mentioned in the book, the minute you leave this country, you are left alone. There’s no one to pamper you, hug you or give a pat on your back when you are struggling,” said the author. One of the lowest points in Don’s life was when his wife got into a serious car crash with major injuries and was left unconscious for a few days. “I was right outside the hospital seated in one of the benches. Didn’t eat, didn’t drink, all I had was a pack of cigarettes and my lighter. I was smoking all night and wondering about the worst case scenarios. I realised how lost we are. If I was in Sri Lanka, there would be plenty of people by my side, I would never be left alone. That incident was also a major inspiration for me,” added the author.

Through this book, Don Asela wants to preserve the memory of the simple yet rooted characters who vanished without a mark. For the author, these people aren’t in history books, not in the memories of anyone and not essentially considered significant, nonetheless he considers them to be inspirational individuals. “Of course there are globally recognised influential Sri Lankans, but I was just trying to bring balance into that narrative. I have mentioned both the joy and the painful parts. I wanted the book to be revealing,” explained Don.

There are stories and personalities in this book that to the author are giant characters but to the world are forgotten people. People who constantly struggled and harboured massive amounts of strength to be connected to their roots and make ends meet, all the while bottling up their sorrow and hardships. Don believes this is why Sri Lankans have so many organisations per capita compared to any other year. He emphasized how for every ten people, we would make a society because we constantly yearn for that community feeling.

“This is only a few people that I have selected and most of them are from my memories. Initially I wrote this not as a book but as a journal or a record for myself. Later on I tried to put it all together. But this book only talks about a few people and stories and there are thousands that I may have missed,” said the author. “I wanted to write about people around me without writing much about myself. I wanted to write as I have seen it, things that I saw around me. And I tried to keep myself in my book as an observer.”

Don explained how he is not someone who knows any specific writing techniques. To him, writing this book came as a natural flow. He took around one and a half years to compile this book and every single day after he comes home, he would write. The author added how Ali Jamis’s story was the first one he wrote and one of his personal favorites as well. Don also confessed how he wanted to write the entire book about him because Ali Jamis’s story left a deep impact on him. The author explained how Ali Jamis didn’t have a voice, he never knew how to read and write, neither English nor Sinhalese and he never knew his parents or his family. Don went on to say that he had never anticipated encountering such a character in the UK, and the experience left a lasting impression on him.

“My family constantly helped me in writing this by reminding me and correcting my memory about these stories,” said Don. “My son, who is an avid reader, started reading my book and gave me very valuable feedback such as politically inaccurate parts in my writing. My son was my first fan,” he said with pride. When the publishers edited the book and sent it back to Don, he got his son to be his first reader and decided to get his confirmation first. “I took his word. He’s one of the people who encourages me to come back to Sri Lanka and I’m incredibly proud of him. Many of my values are instilled in him,” said Don, lovingly.

The author explained how publishing was not an easy feat and if it’s not for The Jam Fruit Tree Publications, it would have been really difficult for him. He also explained how publishing for the first time can be very overwhelming and finding the right people for it mattered a lot to him as a new author. Even though Don was living in the UK, he wanted to publish it in Sri Lanka and he thanked his publisher for guiding him throughout the process.

The author explained how once you go off the track, it’s so difficult to get back on track no matter how hard you try. “It’s a slow process. It was I, who decided to leave the country and I hope Sri Lanka would forgive me for my betrayal,” he said. “I was young and excited to go over there and travel. Don’t get me wrong, I still like the UK. I like the freedom over there, I admire their history, literature and music, I enjoyed all of it. However, when you have something personal to share, you need someone who knows your roots. Someone of your own country and your own beautiful culture. Because you realise with time, no matter how long you live in another country, you are not part of it. You may socialise with these people and have fun with them, but you don’t belong there. You are different from them and that difference sets you apart. With time, I learned to love this.”

Don always wore a Sri Lankan pin on his coat and explained how he never tried to correct his accent. He never tried to blend in because his roots gave him a unique identity. He embraced his identity in full because it’s his to own. He explained how it’s like any other personal identity that we carry and how we don’t have to hide any part of who we are. When Don moved to the UK, he joined and worked for The British Sri Lankan Forum and rewrote their constitution. He recalled how he joined this organisation during its active efforts in countering terrorism. He specifically wanted the constitution to support non-violence in any form, be it violence against children, violence against race, violence against gender etc. simply because he wanted to protect humanity within the community.

During this time, he realised that there were several highlighted characters who were giving their service, spending money and spending time without any expectations or personal gains. He initially planned to do recognition awards for people of their community but implementing this plan proved to be challenging. Finally Don decided to try and show his appreciation and gratitude for these people in his own way. Therefore through Beyond Borders, he wanted to give a glimpse of their service, love and dedication. “Sri Lanka is my first love, you never forget your first love. I wish the younger expatriates would read this and be proud of where they came from. People often don’t see the core of the folk who went abroad,” said Don.

“I always wanted to do something meaningful and impactful for this community and this book is the result of that attempt. I believe I paid back my debt at least a little bit now,” said the author. Don’s only wish is that the new expatriates or those who are hoping to move overseas would read this book and admire the dedication of our people and their yearning to protect and preserve their roots. For one truth remains – no matter where we go, our homeland and community would always be carried steadfastly in our hearts.