Monthly Archives: December 2014

Murder, Martyrdom and the Quest for Bones

As the sun was setting late in December, four armed men strode through the Cathedral precincts determined to arrest one of the country’s most powerful men – or, at least, teach him a lesson. They had probably been drinking and … Continue reading

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From Independence to Exile: The Extraordinary Story of Sir Oliver Goonetilleke (Part 3)

Life in Exile Nine years of researching the background to my novel The Devil Dancers introduced me to some fascinating historical characters. One of the most remarkable was Sir Oliver Goonetilleke, one of the key architects of Ceylon’s Independence and … Continue reading

Posted in Ceylon, Exiles, History, Independence, Sir John Kotelawala, Sri Lanka | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

From Independence to Exile: The Extraordinary Story of Sir Oliver Goonetilleke (Part 2)

From Dawn to Dusk Nine years of researching the background to my novel The Devil Dancers introduced me to some fascinating historical characters. One of the most remarkable was Sir Oliver Goonetilleke, one of the key architects of Ceylon’s Independence … Continue reading

Posted in Ceylon, History, Independence, Sir John Kotelawala, Sri Lanka | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

From Independence to Exile: The Extraordinary Story of Sir Oliver Goonetilleke (Part 1)

The Road to Independence Nine years of researching the background to my novel The Devil Dancers introduced me to some fascinating historical characters. One of the most remarkable was Sir Oliver Goonetilleke, one of the key architects of Ceylon’s Independence … Continue reading

Posted in Ceylon, Exiles, History, Independence, Sri Lanka, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Richard III’s mysterious son

The discovery of King Richard III’s remains in a Leicester car-park has had many repercussions. Most recently, DNA tests have revealed ‘false paternity’ on Richard’s male side. This is explained by an act of infidelity by one of Richard’s ancestors. … Continue reading

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