Sri Lanka's renowned writer, critic and scholar, Martin Wickramasinghe was born in 1910 in Matara, Sri Lanka. He wrote novels, short stories and plays that explored social issues and is considered a pioneer of modern Sinhala literature. Some of his notable works include "Kapruka Ata", "Meema Himi" and "Gamperaliya". He received many national honors for his contributions to Sri Lankan literature and passed away in 1994.