Return to Sri Lanka

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A01=Razeen Sally
Age Group_Uncategorized
Age Group_Uncategorized
Aragalaya
Author_Razeen Sally
autobiography
automatic-update
Category1=Non-Fiction
Category=BM
Category=DNC
Category=HBJF
Category=NHF
Category=WTH
Colombo
COP=United Kingdom
Delivery_Pre-order
eq_bestseller
eq_biography-true-stories
eq_history
eq_isMigrated=2
eq_nobargain
eq_non-fiction
eq_travel
Galle
introduction to Sri Lanka
Kandy
Language_English
memoir
modern Sri Lanka
PA=Not yet available
post-colonial Sri Lanka
Price_€10 to €20
PS=Forthcoming
Sinhala
softlaunch
Sri Lankan civil war
Sri Lankan culture
Sri Lankan history
Sri Lankan politics
Tamils
tourism
travel writing
travelogue
visiting Sri Lanka

Product details

  • ISBN 9781398544291
  • Weight: 372g
  • Dimensions: 130 x 198mm
  • Publication Date: 02 Jan 2025
  • Publisher: Simon & Schuster Ltd
  • Publication City/Country: GB
  • Product Form: Paperback
  • Language: English
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'Sally's book is an exemplar of the best in the genre' Krishnan Srinivasan, The Statesman

A blend of travel writing, memoir, history and current affairs that tells the story of Sri Lanka. A perfect read for first-time visitors, Sri Lankans abroad or at home, or anyone looking to deepen their understanding of one of the world’s most fascinating and paradoxical countries.


Razeen Sally was born to a Sri Lankan Muslim father and a Welsh mother. Just before his teens, a political conflict tore his family apart and he left Sri Lanka, barely going back for thirty years.

When he finally returned ‘home’, he spent much of the next decade crisscrossing the island, trying to understand this paradoxical place. Blessed with nature’s bounty and an easy, pleasure-loving people, it was nevertheless scarred by ethnic conflict and the violence of civil war.

As a native and a tourist, Sally makes an ideal guide to Sri Lanka’s past and present. He won’t tell you which restaurant has the best reviews or the price of a hotel room. Instead, he will accompany you like a learned friend, sharing his journeys, pointing out the unmissable gems beyond the obvious spots, and unpacking the nation’s culture and history. Insightful, intimate and moving, Return to Sri Lanka is an indispensable book, whether you're already familiar with this spectacular country, or planning your first visit.

Razeen Sally is a Sri Lankan–British writer. He taught political economy and international relations at the National University of Singapore and the London School of Economics, before becoming a full-time travel writer. As a professor, he held visiting academic positions and was involved with think tanks in Europe, Asia, the USA and Africa, and was a senior policy adviser to the Sri Lankan government. He now divides his time between the family home in North Wales and travel in Asia, and continues to spend several months of the year in Sri Lanka.

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