Sri Lanka, March 22 -- The Colombo International Book Fair (CIBF) celebrated its Silver Jubilee in 2024, marking 25 years of unbroken service to Sri Lanka's literary landscape. Six past presidents of the Sri Lanka Book Publishers Association (SLBPA) gathered on the same stage to commemorate the journey of what has become the country's most significant literary event.

Ranjith Samaranayake, a past president of the SLBPA, addressing the ceremony, noted the symbolic importance of this gathering. Tracing the humble beginnings of the CIBF, Samaranayake reminded the audience that the first fair was organized in 1999 under the leadership of the late Nimal Ariyawansa Perera, then president of the SLBPA. Held at the National Art Gallery, it was a ...