Arthur C Clarke
Arthur C Clarke dubbed the “Prophet of the Space Age”was one of the most influence science fiction writers the world had seen. He is notable for his theory of satellite triangulation (which is what the entire world relies on now for communication) and writer of the book 2001: A Space Odyssey which later became an award winning film.
Born in England, Arthur C Clarke migrated to Sri Lanka in 1956 to pursue his interest in scuba diving. However it was later revealed in a biography that the main reason for his migration was because he was a homosexual. Sri Lanka had tolerant laws that did not punish those based on their sexual orientation unlike other countries at the time. Most of his stories would often be set in fictional locations in Sri Lanka.
In 1998, Clarke received Knighthood for his work and was awarded Sri Lanka’s highest civil honour the Sri Lankabhimanya in 2005.
