Complexities of Sri Lanka explored in travel book
John Gimlette gave an illustrated talk about his travel book 'Elephant Complex: Travels in Sri Lanka' at Asia House
Complexities of Sri Lanka explored in travel book
22 March 2016
“The longer you are in Sri Lanka the less you understand it,” author of Elephant Complex: Travels in Sri Lanka John Gimlette said at the start of his illustrated talk in the Asia House library, taking those attending on an imaginary and vividly illustrated tour through the country.
The award-winning travel writer started off speaking about how in 2006 Sri Lanka was in the midst of a civil war “in which Indian peace keepers were shot on both sides and 5,000 guerrillas changed sides and then all of sudden in 2009 the 25-year war was over,” he said.
Gimlette said that when he was in Sri Lanka he interviewed many people about this war and they all said such different things he was “beginning to wonder if there were several different Sri Lankas.”
He also spoke about the popularity of Sri Lanka as a tourist destination which attracts one million tourists per year, including 120,000 Britons because of its beautiful landscapes, sandy beaches, mixture of mountains and rivers and a startling array of wildlife.
One of the slides shown during John Gimlette’s presentation
“It has the greatest concentration of leopards in the world, as well as crocodiles, kingfishers, blue whales and the world’s biggest land animal – the elephant,” Gimlette explained.
“Sri Lanka has almost 7,500 elephants. It’s got everything: caste, astrology, cricket. Yet there is so much for the outsider to misunderstand,” Gimlette said. “It has one of the highest suicide rates in the world and is also one of the most charitable places in the world. Public displays of affection are frowned upon, as is meat, alcohol, drugs and bikinis. Their faces give so little away, they have that mysterious smile. It is also an island rich in legends, with a strong presence of colonial architecture,” he pointed out.
He said when the civil war ended, his sister was in Sri Lanka 200 miles away from where the fighting had occurred doing a fashion shoot. “It’s extraordinary that in the same country there can be so many differences,” he said.
John Gimlette’s talk in the Asia House library was packed
He also spoke about the Sri Lankan community in London. “There are 22 Sri Lankan temples in London and more Sri Lankan Tamils in Tooting than there were Brits in Ceylon at the height of the Empire,” he said.
At the end of the talk Gimlette signed copies of his book, which was published by Quercus in October 2015.
John Gimlette signed copies of his book after the talk
naomi.canton@asiahouse.co.uk
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