Mr. G.B. Senanayake and his short story art - By R.M.W.Devindi Rathnayake

Written By: R.M.W.Devindi Rathnayake

Category: Essay

Competition: Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026

In the Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026, R.M.W.Devindi Rathnayake presents an essay titled "Mr. G.B. Senanayake and his short story art." This captivating exploration of the short story genre offers insights into the works of noted author G.B. Senanayake. Rathnayake delves into the intricacies of Senanayake's storytelling, focusing on his unique portrayal of middle-class society and personal conflicts. This essay promises to engage readers with its thoughtful analysis and appreciation of short story craftsmanship.

About the Work

R.M.W.Devindi Rathnayake's essay provides a profound examination of G.B. Senanayake's contributions to short story literature. The piece explores Senanayake's narrative style, characterized by deep psychological insights and urban middle-class experiences. Rathnayake highlights Senanayake's ability to intertwine personal conflicts with broader societal themes, offering a fresh perspective on the art of storytelling. The essay captures the essence of Senanayake's work, underscoring his innovative approach and literary influence.

Mr. G.B. Senanayake and his short story art

Original Submission by R.M.W.Devindi Rathnayake

Mr. G.B. Senanayake and his short story art

The current short story can be shown as a popular literary element common to almost every language in the world.

As a result of the systematic development of storytelling, the short story was built. It was done around 1824.

It was Edgar Allan Poe who provided a preface to Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Twice-Told Tales.

What is a short story? In this essay, he has explained this very uniquely, what is its speciality.

Chekhov, a Russian short story writer, views the short story as an art form that depicts a piece of life. Mercy or a basic exciting moment or a literary form being represented.

It is a general acceptance.

However, there is no obstacle to including other characters, events, and situations related to that main character or character element, that main event, or the main exciting moments in the short story.

That is the definition of the short story given by the brilliant author Mr. A. V. Suraweera.

The work that laid the foundation for the art of short stories was the work “The Slave” written by Mr. Martin Wickramasinghe.

It is undeniable that his efforts to transform the Sinhala short story into an artistic literary form were pioneering.

It was nurtured in every way by Mr. Gunadasa Amarasekara.

The book “A World Without the Poor” written by G.B. Senanayake in 1945 is considered a milestone in short story literature. It is the first Sinhala artistic short story written by “Vesak Pahana”.

Like other contemporary short story writers, he mostly tried to adhere to the Consciousness perspective. Mr. G.B. Senanayake was careful to portray the reality of middle-class society by deeply analyzing domestic life.

Apart from the work “The World Without the Poor”, G.B. Senanayake later wrote collections of stories such as “Revenge”, “Mithuriya”, “Gamana”, “Natuma” and “The writer”. Among these stories, it is a special fact that Senanayake’s creative ability, independent imagination and understanding of life are best known in the first collection of stories.

Senanayake’s short stories have not been written based on experiences that reflect common people’s lives.

The subject matter of almost every short story reflected the experiences of urban middle-class life, which was more familiar to him.

Even in that life, he was more interested in depicting serious personal situations arising from human conflict than in the common social life issues and problems that existed.

He opened a new path for himself and brought short stories to the forefront. He was able to give man a new set of environmental and social experiences.

His subject matter is characterized by his experience-based interpretation of the nature of children’s lives and the way children’s minds work, which are affected by various life problems and emotional stress.

Among the short story writers, G.B. Senanayake is the most prominent.

The reasons for this are the skills shown in portraying the story’s complexities in a way that enhances the story’s effects and technical features.

In composing the two collections of folk tales, The World Without the Poor and Vengeance, he was more concerned with the form and context of the story. In the Vengeance collection, Senanayake seems to have tried to compose a story style that is easy for the Sinhala reader to identify with the traditional story tradition. It seems that he has prepared a language with a descriptive style, adorned with adjectives, in a way that helps him achieve his desired goals.

G.B. Senanayake’s works were heavily influenced by Edgar Allan Poe’s works and he wrote short stories based on supernatural events such as horror and fear.

The best example of this is the work “Adventure in the high seas” written by G.B. Senanayake.

He has also written these short stories with a great personality. This is evident in the short story “Vesak Pahana”. G.B. Senanayake, who was awarded the Sahitya Suriya degree from the University of Sri Jayewardenepura, who made a great breakthrough in Sinhala short story literature, passed away on March 16, 1985.

About the Competition

The Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026 by Hashtag Kalakar is a prestigious event celebrating literary talents across the globe. This competition invites writers to showcase their creativity in various categories, including poetry, essays, and short stories. Participants from diverse backgrounds come together, contributing to a rich tapestry of contemporary literature. As a platform for both emerging and established writers, the competition fosters a global dialogue through the power of words.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to R.M.W.Devindi Rathnayake for their insightful contribution, "Mr. G.B. Senanayake and his short story art," to the Global Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026. This essay not only honors the legacy of G.B. Senanayake but also enriches our understanding of the short story as a literary form. Thank you, R.M.W.Devindi Rathnayake, for your valuable participation and for sharing your profound literary insights with us.

About Hashtag Kalakar

Hashtag Kalakar is a creative platform dedicated to providing artists, writers, singers and other creative talents with opportunities to showcase their work and reach wider audiences through competitions, features and creative initiatives.