Adilah Ismail
Freelance Writer
Freelance writer and communications consultant. Writes about food, arts, culture, history and literature. Also takes on corporate writing & editing.
PROJECTS
Conde Nast
AD50 2017 - Architects from Sri Lanka
Profiles of Sri Lankan architects featured in Architectural Digest India's anniversary issue.
sundaytimes.lk
A renowned horologist in Colombo closes its doors
In a corner of Colombo, time caught up with a renowned gatekeeper of time. K. Don Willie & Sons, horologists who have been repairing, restoring and conserving timepieces for decades, closed down in 2017.
sundaytimes.lk
Shankari Chandran on her first book
Shankari Chandran’s Song of the Sun God is a sensitive, fast-paced read and easily a noteworthy addition to Sri Lankan English fiction. She speaks about writing about Tamil society in Sri Lanka at a particular point in time, how her work as a lawyer informed her writing and more.
Vogue India
Beyond Bawa
A snapshot of contemporary Sri Lankan architecture for Vogue India's anniversary issue.
sundaytimes.lk
The Lipton Legacy in Sri Lanka
A convoluted inheritance of its colonial past, Sri Lanka’s tea industry has been sculpted with increasing global competition and market volatility and is central to the country’s narrative. This is a glimpse of the man who made Ceylon Tea into a household brand.
sundaytimes.lk
'I never wanted to become an actress'
Swarna Mallawarachchi celebrates 50 years in Sri Lankan cinema.
scroll.in
A Sri Lankan Eid: A time for family, friends and food
An essay on Eid in Sri Lanka and the cultural elements that have influenced the island's palate.
sundaytimes.lk
On Diasporic Food Narratives
On the link between culinary memory, food narratives and identity.
sundaytimes.lk
Collecting sunsets by the seashore
In which I rekindle a love affair with the beach - my favourite thing about Colombo.
Conde Nast
Architectural Digest India - Sri Lankan profiles
Profiles for the Sri Lankan architects featured in Architectural Digest India (this entire list is a visual treat and worth browsing).
sundaytimes.lk
A Houseful of Art
The Sapumal Foundation is a lovely, old house tucked in Colombo 7 and crammed with some of the best known names in Sri Lankan art -- probably one of the nicest art spaces in the city.
sundaytimes.lk
On communal archiving and documenting history on social media.
A look at two popular Facebook pages, taking steps to archive history
sundaytimes.lk
C215 in Colombo
French artist C215 was in Colombo and stopped between stencils to have a chat about street art. I loved that he travelled to a pocket of Colombo that most artists would be hesitant to visit.
sundaytimes.lk
Street food at Hulftsdorp
Hulftsdorp's street food offerings offer a bit more than than the kotthu, pittu and hopper Sri lankan street food troika. Here's a quick glimpse.