Malagueta: The Pepper Coast
Pramudith D Rupasinghe
Malagueta: once a virgin grace to Atlantic tides,
with flesh and woods untouched, until none finds.
Bassa, Kru, Kpelle, Krio in a polyphony rhymed.
Malagueta: a barren land with people doomed.
Scars of emptiness and stains of bygone prosperity
ground gunpowder with hate into today’s misery.
Dreams froze in curdled blood in recent history.
Tell, who crafted this prison in the name of liberty?
Sailed the hope across Pacifics, woo in Atlantics,
journey for equality: deception, Monro’s politics,
on hardened earth, in sky’s apathy, by angry sea.
Despair triumphed over hope; captivity over Liberty.
Liberia: land of liberty, you’re violated before puberty.
Pramudith D Rupasinghe is a Sri Lankan writer and humanitarian. His literary works predominantly unfold in settings beyond his native Sri Lanka, for which he earned the name 'Writer Without Borders. His work of fiction, 'Bayan,' set in pre-conflict Ukraine, won the Golden Aster Prize for Global Literature in 2020 and was longlisted for the 2023 Paris Book Festival. Rupasinghe's works have been translated into several languages, including Sinhalese, Burmese, German, Spanish, Russian, and French. He has also dedicated two decades to humanitarian work, drawing inspiration for his writing from his missions to Africa, Europe, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East. He is known for his thought-provoking narratives that delve into the human psyche, cultural identities, and global experiences. Pramudith seldom writes poetry. His first collection of poetry, ‘Anthropic Waves’ was published by Dahuli Publishers in India in early 2025. Currently, he is working on his 3rd novel, ‘Roomschool’. He is also the founder/CEO of The Asian Group of Literature and a cultural curator.

