Peri has published several novels, each of which issued as an e-book. Several of his books were also published in print in his native Sri Lanka. His books are designed for children. He takes them on a journey into magical and mysterious worlds.
Walpola Liyanage Layantha Arunajith Perera (or simply Peri) arrived in Wroclaw in October 2015. Out of many offers he had, he decided to study IT at the Wroclaw University of Technology. He came up with the idea to leave for Poland during his BEng studies in Bangkok, Thailand, where he met a Polish professor, who imparted to him her passion for knowledge and suggested he should continue his studies in Poland. "As I went through the brochures on Polish universities, I found out that Wroclaw is a beautiful city. I was bewitched by the photographs of the Old Town and the university," recounts Peri.
The beginnings were not easy, though. Peri felt abandoned and lonely for several weeks. As the only student from Sri Lanka at the Wroclaw University of Technology, Peri found it extremely difficult to meet any of his compatriots. This little or no contact with his fellow citizens only added to his sadness and homesickness. After some time, however, Peri started to break the ice with other students. "Everybody speaks English here at the university. I find it more challenging to communicate with people in the street, but I am doing my best," he adds.
Peri fell in love with the city as soon as the winter arrived. And first snow appeared in the streets. "I saw snow for the first time in my life. "I was just riveted by it, there was something magical to it," says Peri. "In my native Colombo, the temperature rarely drops below 20 Celsius degrees," he adds. He decided to use the winter landscape of Wroclaw as a backdrop to his novel. "Snow in Poland" was completed in several weeks. The book tells a story about a young girls who sets out to find a doll the has lost. The novel is available as an e-book at Amazon. When asked if he can make a living out of these books, Peri only smiles and says it is a hobby. At least for now. That being said, he has managed to find a publisher that would like to have his book printed and translated into Polish. "I would like to see all my books translated into your language," Peri says laughingly. His immediate plans include completing his MEng studies in Wroclaw and starting a PhD. And writing subsequent novels, of course. Who knows? Maybe the stories to follow will also be set in Wroclaw.
