The Clean Sri Lanka Secretariat, in partnership with the National Library & Documentation Services Board, the Sri Lanka Book Publishers’ Association, the Sri Lanka Scout Association, and LB Finance PLC, officially launched the first edition of the national reading promotion programme, “Arunudora” – A Beginning for the Reading Generation, on September 27. The launch took place alongside the Colombo International Book Fair, and the programme runs from September 27 to October 5 at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH) premises.

The initiative is designed to nurture a culture of reading among Sri Lankan youth and communities with a special focus on supporting under-resourced school and public libraries managed by local government bodies. To facilitate this, a dedicated book donation booth has been set up at BMICH to collect books for these libraries. LB Finance PLC has also enabled book donations at its regional branches across the island, encouraging the public to contribute books in good condition.

Beyond book donations, "Arunudora" features a lively schedule of reading promotion activities, including reading clubs, poetry recitals, songs, and musical performances, aiming to engage and inspire attendees across all age groups during the book fair.

Today, October 1, marks the fourth day of the “Arunudora” programme. A special appreciation of music event is scheduled at 9:00 A.M. at the open-air theatre at BMICH, hosted by Mr. Rathna Sri Wijesinghe. The organizers warmly invite all individuals interested in literary and cultural appreciation to join this engaging event.