The book records the memories of Sri Lankan Tamil survivors who lived through war for over three decades. By creating a three-dimensional presentation, this book provides a dignified healing space for hallowing the memories of those survivors. First, it uses poetry to capture human rights violations and unspeakable memories. Second, each poem in this collection tells a story inspired by actual events without fully revealing the graphic nature of life in war. The book creates a healing space for those memories through nature photography.
About the Author :
Dr. Rajmohan Ramanathapillai is a native of Sri Lanka who grew up through civil unrest to become a human rights advocate, poet, and photographer.With a master's in Religious Studies and a PhD in Philosophy from McMaster University, Canada, Dr. Rajmohan taught philosophy, peace, and human rights across the world. He has successfully directed programs aimed to promote peace, including the "Culture of Peace" program for the children of Tamil refugees and the Tamil Diaspora community in Toronto, and the "Kindness is Contagious" program for African American children.Since moving to Australia, Dr. Rajmohan has completed a master's in counseling from Monash University and worked as a trauma counselor, providing trauma therapy for torture and trauma survivors of asylum seekers and refugees around the world. Now, he serves as a Family Violence Therapeutic specialist supporting women and children.Dr. Rajmohan hopes that his poetry collection, Turtles Without a Sandy Beach, will educate and inspire us all on matters of human rights and survival.
Review :
"Turtles without a Sandy Beach is a rare and intimate account of the struggles, challenges, deepest fears, and hope that define humans during and after the turmoil of war, violence, and survival in Sri Lanka."
ANA CECILIA LOPEZ, JD & LLM
DIRECTOR & ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, WESTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY, USA
"Raj left peaceful Pennsylvania and a secure academic position ... to give understanding and aid to war refugees from Sri Lanka, his home country. Their terribly immediate memories gave rise to these poems, arrows of experience for us to hear, to understand, and to hold in our hearts."
DR. RICHARD J. PRESTON
PROFESSOR EMERITUS OF ANTHROPOLOGY, MCMASTER UNIVERSITY, CANADA
"Dr Raj Ramanathapillai is an excellent story-teller. Even in the most unconscionable circumstances, the characters through which he speaks in these poems invoke empathy without becoming pitiful, inspire admiration without descending into caricature."
DR SUZY KILLMISTER (SHE/HER)
SENIOR LECTURER, PHILOSOPHY MONASH UNIVERSITY, AUSTRALIA
