Biography
Patrick Fernando (1931 -1983) – a Sri Lankan poet who won international recognition – is considered as one of the accomplished poets in Sri Lanka writing in English. Most of his subject of writing were people, things and places the poet had been in close contact with. Significantly, Fernando’s work does not make much references to milestones in Socio-political histories in Sri Lanka like independence, 1971 JVP uprising, Terrorism, introduction to open economy…etc. His writing style possibly influenced by various range of poetry and poets. Therefore, he is found as a unique figure among the contemporary poets like Lakdasa Wickramasinge, and Yasmine Gooneratne.
Fernando’s first book of poems was published in 1955, and the momentous changes of 1956 were not important in his case. His poems possess a framework provided by Christianity (Roman Catholicism) and Western Classics; his poems have been published abroad (his 1955 collection was published in London and occasionally his poems have appeared in foreign anthologies too).
You can read Patrick Fernando’s poetry here