Why I write I have been writing since the age of six, and the first poem I ever wrote was called “The Lake”. Nature continues to play a very important and essential role in most of my creative work as I am constantly fascinated by the wondrous colors and beautiful scenery around me. If it’s a lake, a hill, a river or a tree, you will see it in my poetry. Similarly it is the people and the human dramas that unfold around me, that inspire me to examine the extraordinary and showcase the simple truths of life through poetry. Writing is in my blood. It is a fire that drives me to create. Perhaps I am influenced by the fact that my father is a writer and lyricist with great musical talent. Perhaps the family torch of creativity was passed down to me by my paternal grandfather who wrote and directed many plays long before I was born. Perhaps I am encouraged by my two celebrated uncles, my mother’s brother and my father’s brother who are veteran journalists in Sri Lanka and Asia. But more than all this, I write because I am inspired. My purpose in life is to uplift and inspire with stories that leave the reader liberty to interpret the underlying messages that apply to their own lives. I strive to highlight the subtle and intricate connections between life, music, love and nature while celebrating the joys of friendship and the bonds of family. If I can bring a smile or a sense of comfort to a weary or grieving heart, if I can move someone to hope, to care, to remember, to cherish and to dream…then my writing has reached its audience. I am inspired and I hope to inspire. This is why I write. Samanthi Fernando