Sri Lanka, Oct. 30 -- Sepalika is the name of a flower. It also evokes songs by Srilankan singers Karunarathna Divulgane and Jayasiri Amarasekara. And don't get this mixed up with a teledrama called Sepalika, either, telecast many years ago. Right now, Sepalika is the name of the latest Sinhala literary sensation.

A friend called me breathlessly to inform me that a two-volume novel titled Sepalika has sold 40,000 copies. Both volumes run to more than 1000 pages. You have to buy both together, and they cost Rs. 4000. All print copies have sold out, and now they are taking pre-orders.

When it comes to the digital world, I am sometimes quite late with the news. This was the first time I heard about Wattpad. The print version of this book ...