Manel Eriyagama

Manel Eriyagama is a Sri Lankan academic, translator and author. In 2023, she won the H. A. I. Goonetileke Prize for her translation work titled Jewels, which is a compilation of 14 Sinhala short stories by contemporary writers.

Biography She pursued her primary education at Mahamaya Vidyalaya. She also attended Ampitiya Convent for a brief stint. She was inspired by the works of Charles Dickens, such as Nicholas Nickleby and Little Dorrit, during her childhood.

Career She also served as an instructor at the English Language Teaching Unit. She has insisted that her 37-year experience as an instructor at the English Language Teaching Unit did not turn out to be productive, and she also found spare time to focus on translating only after her retirement from the English Language Teaching Unit.

She compiled and published an English translation titled Jewels in collaboration with Sarasavi Bookshop by selecting 14 Sinhala short stories written by different authors, and the stories covered most of the subject matters relating to the context of Sri Lankan society, including the hierarchy, stereotypes, mental health, poverty, family relationships, romance, and traditions.