The first edition of the national reading promotion programme, titled “A Beginning for the Reading Generation – Arunudora,” was launched today (27th September 2025) under the leadership of the Honorable Minister of Health and Mass Media, Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa.

Organized by the Clean Sri Lanka Secretariat in collaboration with the National Library and Documentation Services Board, the Sri Lanka Book Publishers’ Association, the Sri Lanka Scout Association, and LB Finance PLC, this initiative is being held alongside the Colombo International Book Fair at the Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH).

As part of the programme, a dedicated book donation booth has been established at BMICH to collect books for under-resourced school libraries and public libraries managed by local government bodies. In addition, LB Finance PLC has opened up opportunities for book donations to be made through its regional branches islandwide.

In the coming days, the Colombo International Book Fair will host a series of reading promotion activities including reading clubs, poetry recitals, songs, and music appreciation programmes designed to engage and inspire people of all ages.

The programme inauguration was attended by key dignitaries including Eng. S.P.C. Sugeeshwara, Additional Secretary to the President of the Clean Sri Lanka Secretariat; Mr. Dulip Somarathna, Director (Ethics); Chief Scout Commissioner Advocate Janapriya Fernando; officials from the Sri Lanka Book Publishers’ Association; and Mr. Anishka Yatawara, Assistant General Manager (Business Development and Strategy) of LB Finance PLC.

This collaborative initiative is a testament to Sri Lanka’s commitment to fostering a generation that reads, thinks, and grows through the transformative power of books.