Sandadas Coperehewa
Sandadas Coperahewa was a Sri Lankan Sinhala writer, poet, scholar, art critic, teacher and journalist.
Life and career
Coperahewa was born in Pamburana, Matara on 23 January 1923. He was educated at Pamburana Sariyuth College, then attended St. Thomas' College, Matara from age 9. He was recruited by Warden R. S. de Saram and taught Sinhala, Art and Buddhism for thirty two years at S. Thomas' College, Mt Lavinia alongside Arisen Ahubudu, GL Jinadasa and D.S. Jayasekera.Coperahewa contributed poems to Subasa, a journal started by Munidasa Cumaratunga in 1941, and became an active member of the Hela Havula organization. He was deputy leader of the Hela Havula, an editor of the Pali Dictionary published by "Siri Vajiranana Bhikku Center Maharagama" and Editorial Consultant of Little Star Children's weekly and Lankadeepa. He wrote columns on issues of Art, Buddhism, Sinhala Language and Literature in the English broadsheets, and translated Prof R.H.Wilenskis Miniature History of European Art to Sinhala. He also wrote a commentary to Sinhala poem Daham Gaeta Mala Vivaranaya.
Sandadas Coperahewa died peacefully on 5th June 2022, at the age of 99.