Veteran author Indrani Ratnasekara was recently honoured by the Kalabhooshana award for her services in translating original Spanish works into Sinhala.
Indrani joined the National Carriers in 1976 (Air Ceylon Ltd and Air Lanka Ltd), immediately after her schooling both at Kegalle Balika Vidyalaya and Pushapadana Balika Vidyalaya, Kandy, and left the Air Lanka in 1994, after serving for 20 years in her capacity as ground hostess, traffic agent and senior traffic officer. She still serves the country as a National Tourist Guide Lecturer and continues writing material useful tools to the tourists whose destination is Sri Lanka.
Indrani fluent both in Spanish and Japanese languages claims the capacity to learn world languages is in her blood as her father was a man who knew a number of foreign languages and that had created the necessary milieu for her to take interest in learning other languages. The employment as an air hostess also was an added blessing and advantage to pursue her desire to learn the other languages.
She has authored several books such as Spanish in Sinhala, Sinhala for Travellers, Kandy Esala Perahera (a brochure in 
Spanish) and had translated Prof. Kusuma Karunarathne’s Punche Kaetay Wathure Gihin (a book based tales of Tsunami experiences) into Spanish language.
She has taken part in the international documentary programs on Pablo Neruda, a great poet and the Ambassador for Chile in Sri Lanka (then Ceylon) from 1929 to 1930, produced by TVS, Television of Spain. She has also done a documentary about Gems in Sri Lanka for Spain on request by Premadasa and Harishchandra in Kandy.
Her participation at the EXPO – 1986 in Osaka, Japan inspired her to continue with her study of foreign languages and EXPO 1992, Sevilla, Spain was a further step towards reaching her goal. She had the opportunity to meet and interview Jose Pepin Bello, a great artist, Salvador Dali world renowned designer and pioneer of French Film Industry Luis Bunuel.
Indrani. winner of several awards and certificates in recognition of her dedicated work to the improvement in the tourist industry and providing material useful for both the tour guides and the visitors to Sri Lanka as an author of several books is a good example for other to follow.
Her commitment gives emphasis to the fact that whatever the profession one is involved in, is no barrier to learn, enhance once knowledge and share with others, the lesser mortal with no opportunity to travel about the countries of the globe.
