Sybil Wettasinghe, the Sri Lankan children’s book writer and illustrator whose Kuda Hora became an internationally translated classic, died on July 1, 2020, aged 92. Born in Gintota on October 31, 1927, she built a career spanning newspaper illustration and more than six decades of children’s publishing.
Who was Sybil Wettasinghe?
Wettasinghe was born in Gintota, near Galle, on October 31, 1927. She began working as an illustrator at Lankadeepa at 17, then joined Lake House Publications in 1952. Her work appeared in newspapers and publications including Janatha, Sunday Observer, Silumina, Daily News and Sarasaviya. The Sunday Times described her as the first Sri Lankan woman to work full-time as a journalist.
Accounts differ on the number of books associated with her. The Sunday Times obituary says she produced more than 200 books and illustrations; family-run publisher Adith Publishers credits her with authoring and illustrating more than 250 children’s books, in addition to illustrating hundreds of books by other writers. These figures use different scopes and should not be treated as one definitive count.
Why is Kuda Hora her best-known book?
Kuda Hora, known in English as Umbrella Thief or The Umbrella Thief, began as a story for the children’s page of the newspaper Janatha in 1952. It was published as a book in 1956, first in black and white, according to Adith Publishers. Wettasinghe re-illustrated it in color in 1983.
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The story reached readers beyond Sri Lanka through translations and international editions. The Sunday Times lists English, Norwegian, Danish, Japanese, Chinese, Korean and Swedish editions. Adith says the re-illustrated book was published in Japan, Korea, China, Sweden and New Zealand.
Adith’s catalog identifies its English-language edition as Umbrella Thief. The English title and Kuda Hora refer to the same work, but the title alone does not establish that every language edition has identical text or illustrations.
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What other books and awards are associated with her?
Her other well-known titles include Little Granny, Monster in the Well and Magul Gedara Bath Natho. Her awards and recognition spanned several decades:
| Year | Work or recognition | Reported distinction |
|---|---|---|
| 1965 | Vesak Lantern | Isabel Hutton Prize for Asian Women Writers for Children, as reported by the Sunday Times. |
| 1986 | Kuda Hora | Japan Best Foreign Book Award, according to the Sunday Times. |
| 1995 | Child in Me | Gratiaen Prize, reported by the Sunday Times. |
| 2012 | Career recognition | Nikkei Asia Prize for Culture, reported in The Morning. |
Wonder Crystal was reported in 2020 as containing 1,250 alternative endings written by children in Sri Lanka and as holding a Guinness World Record for the most alternative endings for a book. That description comes from contemporaneous newspaper reporting, not an independently checked current Guinness record entry; see the Sunday Times report.
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What was published after her death?
A November 2025 Daily FT feature described The Magic Silver Tree as the last of Wettasinghe’s books to be published in Japan. It also reported that Adith Publishers issued a local color edition posthumously, with a Sinhala translation titled Puduma Ridi Gaha. The feature said the book was then available through Sarasavi outlets and Adith’s online store; that is a dated availability report, not confirmation of current stock.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why was she 92 when she died?
Wettasinghe was born on October 31, 1927, and died on July 1, 2020. She had not yet reached her 93rd birthday, so the dates make her age 92. The Morning’s obituary called her 93, but the date-based calculation aligns with the contemporaneous Sunday Times report. The family publisher’s author page lists conflicting dates, so the dated obituary accounts are the clearer basis for the death date and age.
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