Vijita Fernando, a celebrated Sri Lankan literary figure and former journalist, has died just months before reaching her 100th birthday. She was likely the oldest living graduate of the University of Ceylon at the time of her death.
Vijita Fernando, one of Sri Lanka's most prominent authors and journalists, passed away on Thursday at an advanced age. Her funeral was conducted at the General Cemetery in Colombo on Saturday. Born in Hikkaduwa in 1926, Fernando had established herself as a cornerstone of the country's literary landscape through decades of distinguished work.
Fernando enjoyed a lengthy career at the Ceylon Daily News, where she held multiple editorial roles including feature writer, women's and children's page editor, and leader writer. Her contributions to literature were recognized through numerous State Literary Awards, and she received the prestigious Gratiaen Prize in 2002 for her translation work, specifically for rendering creative Sinhala fiction into English. Her reach extended internationally, with short stories broadcast by the BBC World Service, including translations that appeared on the Latin American Service in Spanish. Several of her stories were also published internationally.
Her literary output included a novel titled "Somewhere," published in 2013, alongside two collections of short stories. Fernando was regarded as one of the finest translators of her generation in converting Sinhala literature to English. She was the younger sister of M. Chandrasoma, a notable civil servant of his era. Fernando was the wife of the late Bonnie Fernando, who also worked as a journalist at Lake House, and is survived by three daughters.
