Tissa Devendra
Tissa Devendra | |
---|---|
Born |
1929 Colombo, Sri Lanka |
Residence | Sri Lanka |
Nationality | Sri Lankan |
Alma mater |
Nalanda College, Colombo Ananda College, Colombo University of Ceylon University of Cambridge |
Religion | Theravada Buddhism |
Tissa Devendra is a writer of repute besides being a top retired civil servant in Sri Lanka.
Childhood & education
Tissa received his education from Dharmaraja College, Kandy, Nalanda College, Colombo and Ananda College Colombo . Later graduated from University of Ceylon and University of Cambridge.
Career
Tissa's long career in the public service started in 1953 as a District Land Officer. Later was General Manager of the River Valleys Development Project in Walawe.
Tissa was the Government Agent in Matara, Trincomalee and Jaffna. He also held positions as Chairman of Public Service Commission, Chairman of Salaries Commission. First President of the Colombo University Alumni Association. Tissa also served as National Expert for the FAO and United Nations.
Author
Devendra is a book writer of repute and authored many books both in Sinhalese and English. His book Tales from the Provinces was short-listed for the Gratiaen Prize in 1998. Tissa was also a reviewer of English films along with the late Regi Siriwardena, the late Donald Abeysinghe, the late Mervyn De Silva.
Tissa who had served 40 years in public service scripted an acclaimed TV documentary on George Keyt in 1987. Some of his published books are: The Emerald Island, Tales from the Provinces, Princes Peasants and Clever Beasts, More Princes, Peasants and Clever Beasts and On Horseshoe Street.
References
- Fabulous out of the mundane
- Reading: it's Tissa's business
- Tissa Devendra - Belletrist
- Tissa Devendra - Chairperson
- On Horseshoe Street : Window to a bygone era
- Recalling a post-colonial past
- As I Like It Traversing with Tissa Devendra
- DR. D.W.DEVENDRA – THE OLDEST NALANDIAN REMEMBERS