In her introduction to Blue Stories for Adults (2010, ISBN 978-955-8897-20-1) editor (and contributing author) Ameena Hussein writes that one of the aims of the book is to challenge stereotypes of Sri Lankan sexuality. She also mentions that it does not “claim to be the representative literature of Sri Lankan erotica… but it is a milestone in Sri Lankan writing in English.” The sixteen pieces (some are poetry, some are fiction) comprising this book include pieces on straight, gay, lesbian, and Islamic sexuality, and include a wide range of treatments.

At 146 pages, it’s a quick read. Some of the stories are compelling, and our two favorites here at WoWasis were Shehan Karunatilaka’s Veysee, the story of a man conflicted in his marriage, and Ameena Hussein’s Undercover, the tale of a forbidden romance in a movie theatre, with an Islamic woman as the protagonist. There are some surprises here, too. In Tariq Solomons’ Bus Stop, a fan club for the U.S. instrumental surf music group The Ventures plays a prominent role. Who knew instrumental surf was big in Sri Lanka?

The bad news is that all-in-all, the stories are spotty. Much of the writing seems juvenile, and the characters often aren’t very well developed. There’s a lot of teen-age crush angst here. Overall, perhaps Hussein, though has met her goal, that of establishing a forum where Sri Lankan writers dabbling in erotica can actually get published in their own country. And if that is successful, perhaps many of the writers in this book will continue to polish their skills, develop better plots, and invent characters with character.