AngryPages®
Hi,
I just realized I forgot to attach the book cover concept to my previous email.
I’ve attached it here, along with a 3D diorama we made to help visualize the direction of the book.
We made these for Hemasiri and Quintus too, and Tenali, and of course our very own Elle, which helps us with sales. People can see the story before they even open the book.
I also read much more about Mr. Wijesinghe after writing to you.
And I want him to know something clearly:
We agree with him. We know he was wronged. We want to be friends with him, and we want to help him.
I know what happened around his BOI years and that he was eventually cleared. I’m not interested in using that history against him. I think he should be able to tell his version, in his own words, properly and permanently.
My mom’s Sumathipala brothers Jagath and Thilanga are super famous in Sri Lanka. Thilanga is a Nalanda guy; Mr. Wijesinghe is Ananda like Jagath and came through that Ananda–Nalanda world himself.
I’m just a young Sinhalese publisher of an American California corporation, trying to put Sri Lanka on the map.
Mr. Wijesinghe was a BOI boss who performed a yeoman service, and that is exactly why I think he will understand what I’m saying better than most people.
I have seen 0 serious investment in what we are building from Sri Lankan enterprise, besides people such as Shanil Fernando, Sanjiva and Kris from the US helping in different ways.
And it should haunt us that even after 2009, Sri Lanka’s investment ecosystem has remained as disappointing as it was during the height of the civil war, if not worse.
HSBC has pulled back. McDonald’s left.
The currency was around Rs 100 to the dollar in the 2000s. It is around Rs 300 now.