Minister of Education, Higher Education, and Vocational Education Dr. Harini Amarasuriya

Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, Minister of Education, Higher Education, and Vocational Education, stated that the words, ideas, and stories that reach a child’s mind during early childhood are powerful factors that influence the child’s future.

The Minister expressed these views while participating in the event to present the book titled “Fiction Wonderland: A Comprehensive Guide to Creating Children’s Fiction Books”, an English-language handbook on children’s books, compiled under the initiative of the Ministry of Education, Higher Education, and Vocational Education, and launched at the National Conference on Children’s Books.

Further expressing her thoughts, the Minister stated:

“Children’s literature can be identified as an extremely powerful medium that shapes children’s thinking patterns. Our aim is to develop in children not only the joy of reading but also a healthy and sensitive mind. Therefore, children’s literature should be created not merely with simple words, but by embedding ideas and values that illuminate a child’s mind.”

The Minister further noted that creating and utilizing such timely works will provide a strong foundation for writers who create children’s literary works in the future, and that encouraging children to read from an early age and cultivating a refined taste for reading has become a vital need of the era.

This book, which has already been published in the English language, is expected to be released in Sinhala and Tamil in the future. This program is jointly implemented by the Ministry of Education, Higher Education, and Vocational Education, the “Room to Read” organization, the University of Moratuwa, and the Sri Lanka Book Publishers’ Association, with participation from university professors and ministry officials.