Trustees

Michael Ondaatje

Founder

Michael Ondaatje, Founder of the Gratiaen Trust, is the award-winning author of The English Patient, joint winner of the Booker Prize in 1992, and winner of the Golden Man Booker Prize in 2019. He is the author of over thirty works comprising fiction, memoir, poetry and essays, and is the recipient of fifteen prestigious literary award to date.

Nafeesa K. Amiruddeen

Co-chairperson

Nafeesa K Amiruddeen is co-founder and Drama Director of The Performing Arts Company, and the Secretary to the Gratiaen Trust.  With qualifications from Trinity College London and the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, she teaches Speech and Communication skills, and fosters theatre in schools through productions and festivals.

Nisreen Jafferjee

Co-chairperson

Nisreen Jafferjee, has a background in marketing, advertising and public relations in India and Sri Lanka. She has previously worked with Ogilvy Public Relations and the Galle Literary Festival. Her experience with the Festival added to her passion for arts programming.

Prof. Neloufer de Mel

Prof. Neloufer de Mel was former Chairperson of the Gratiaen Trust (2018-2023) and Chair Professor of English at the University of Colombo. A longtime Trustee, she is the author of many scholarly publications on cultural and literature studies, and has been on the jury of the Commonwealth Writers Prize (Euro-Asia region), the DSC Prize for South Asian literature, and the Gratiaen Prize.

Dr. Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu

Dr Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu is the founding Executive Director of the Centre for Policy Alternatives, an independent research and advocacy public policy think tank in Sri Lanka.  A leading advocate of human rights and good governance, he won the inaugural Citizens Peace Award in 2010 and was shortlisted for the City of Ypres Peace Prize in 2016. He also functioned as the Secretary to the Consultative Task Force on Reconciliation Mechanisms in Sri Lanka.

Manjula Sirimanne

Manjula Sirimanne is a partner at the D.L. and F. de Saram law firm – lawyers to the Trust. Called to the Bar in 1993, she graduated with a LL.B (Hons) degree from the University of Colombo in 1995, and specializes in corporate, commercial, employment and intellectual property law.

Ranmali Mirchandani

Ranmali Mirchandani is an arts practitioner with extensive stage experience.  She was Arts Manager at the British Council in Sri Lanka for 27 years and is currently the South Asia Representative for the Royal Academy of Dance. She graduated from the University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, and holds a Japanese language degree from Reitaku University, Japan.

Dr. Mahendran Thiruvarangan

Mahendran Thiruvarangan is a Senior Lecturer in English at the University of Jaffna. He obtained his PhD from the City University of New York in 2019. His graduate research focused on representations of coexistence and resistance in contemporary South Asian writings and human rights narratives. He teaches courses in postcolonial literatures and early-modern writings. He also writes in the print and electronic media, in both Tamil and English, about contemporary socio-political issues.

Dr. Maduranga Kalugampitiya

Maduranga Kalugampitiya is a Senior Lecturer in English at the University of Peradeniya, and he is currently serving as the Head of the Department of English there.  He is an alumnus of the University of Peradeniya and Ohio University, USA.  His areas of interest include the philosophy of language, language politics, and literary and critical theory. 

Romany Parakrama

Romany has a career spanning over three decades in corporate communications, financial services, and governance, with leadership roles in both Sri Lanka and Singapore. Her experience includes nine years with a large, diversified local conglomerate and over 27 years in the banking industry. She continues to serve as a non-executive director in the corporate sector.An alumna of Smith College, USA, Ms. Parakrama graduated magna cum laude with a Liberal Arts degree and was inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa honor society.Ms. Parakrama is also an avid participant in the arts and literature. She has been involved in English theatre in Sri Lanka for most of her life, both as an actor and director. A passionate reader, she also writes poetry for personal enjoyment.

Savan Perera

Treasurer

Savan Perera is a seasoned corporate finance professional with over a decade of experience in financial modeling, valuations, and board advisory. He holds an MBA in Finance, and is currently pursuing a Doctorate at the University of Colombo. He serves as the Co-Founder and CEO of KnowFunds, a financial consultancy firm that provides strategic advice for SMEs. His greater purpose is to improve financial literacy among young entrepreneurs in Sri Lanka.