By Gayanga Dissanayaka –
Samantha Marie Cecilia de Alwis, known by her pen name “Cece Brown,” began her writing journey during the pandemic. Writing has always been a passion of hers, ever since childhood and school days. However, it wasn’t until the pandemic that she had the time to dive deeper into it. Balancing a busy life and career often left little room for her creative pursuits. Today, she’s already the author of three books, including her second children’s book, Archie the Blue Whale and His Flatmate, Ditzy the Dolphin, published by The Jam Fruit Tree Publications.
Samantha’s love for dolphins and whales shines through in her latest book, where she combines her vivid imagination and deep affection for Sri Lanka and its surrounding oceans to create an engaging, heartwarming children’s story. Her nieces, nephews, and real-life moments spent with them are the inspiration behind many of her characters and stories.
Beyond being an author, Samantha’s background includes working in the tourism industry and being a former flight attendant. These days, she focuses mainly on her writing and teaches spoken English. “I’ve always known I had a gift for writing, but it wasn’t until the pandemic that I really had the time to nurture it,” she says. During this time, Samantha also became more involved in beach cleanups.
As a dedicated volunteer with Clean Ocean Force, an environmental protection organization, Samantha participates in beach cleanups regularly. “I’ve been with them for several years. I’ve always cared deeply about the environment. When I see trash on the beaches, I feel compelled to do something. But since it’s hard to make a big difference on my own, I decided to join this organization. A portion of the proceeds from my book will go to Clean Ocean Force as well,” she explains. This organisation is also mentioned in the fifth chapter of her book.
Samantha finds that her best writing happens in the mornings, when the world is quiet and calm. “That’s when inspiration flows the most,” she says. Writing children’s books feels natural to her, as her nieces and nephews are a constant source of inspiration. “I’ve always gotten along with kids, and I’ve done a lot of babysitting throughout my life. That connection with children and my imagination gives me real-life moments to turn into stories.”
Her first children’s book, Run in the Meadow, is full of mischief and adventure, with characters based on her nieces and nephews and stories rooted in actual incidents. Her first published work, however, was Luv in Flight, a romance novel released as an ebook.
Samantha credits her publisher for making the process of publishing Archie the Blue Whale feel smooth and supportive. The real challenge, she says, was finding the right illustrator. Fortunately, her sister, Iyanthie de Alwis, stepped in to illustrate the book, for which Samantha is deeply grateful.
The message Samantha hopes to convey to young readers is simple: enjoy the environment, have fun, and do your part to protect it, especially the oceans. “I’m a very positive person, and I want children to have fun reading my book. Happiness is key to childhood, and I believe it’s something we need more of in the world. There’s enough sadness out there, so I wanted this book to be something joyful, a break from all the negativity.”
That said, Samantha also hopes her book fosters awareness about the environment and highlights the importance of family and togetherness. It’s also packed with fun, educational facts about blue whales and dolphins to spark curiosity in young readers. Through this exciting oceanic adventure, she hopes to inspire kids to learn, care, and be fascinated by the world around them.
