On February 27, 2025, the Coffee Bar at KDU’s HQ building transformed into a space of literary exploration as Dr. Krishanthi Anandawansa, Senior Lecturer from the Dept. of Languages, FMSH conducted a poetry reading and mini-workshop for academic staff and interested participants. Organized by the Staff Development Centre (SDC) of KDU, this one-hour session aimed to broaden perspectives on poetry, emphasizing its role as a storytelling medium beyond mere emotional expression. The Director SDC Dr. Faiz Marikkar opened the session by welcoming all those present at the event. Also present at the event was Dean FMSH Dr. Lakshika Liyanage, and academic and non-academic staff of KDU.
The poetry reading featured selections from Dr. Krishanthi’s published works, I Picture the Mosaic and Simply Freckled, alongside unpublished pieces from an upcoming collection tentatively titled Step to a Melody. Through these works, the session highlighted how poetry intertwines narrative and emotion, making it an essential tool for creative expression, storytelling and purgation of emotions.
Following the reading, participants engaged in a Haiku-writing exercise inspired by visual stimuli from Dr. Krishanthi’s own photography, encouraging them to tap into their innate creativity. This interactive component underscored the idea that storytelling is not confined to traditional prose but can emerge through the succinct, evocative power of poetry, mingled with personal expression and experience.
The event sparked meaningful insights about the role of poetry not only as mere personal reflection but also as a means of commenting and providing a critique on society and its ways. Attendees left with a renewed appreciation for poetry as an accessible, versatile form of storytelling—one that anyone can explore, harness, and refine. The session concluded with a vote of thanks by fellow poet and Lecturer Mr. Ruchira Fernando from Faculty of Engineering (FOE), KDU.
