His love for the wilds and tribute
By Tarini Pilapitiya
On December 5, Nawaz Vilcassim presented his wildlife themed coffee table book “The Heart of the Wild” to an intimate gathering at the Barefoot Gallery Cafe.
“The Heart of the Wild” captures Nawaz’s adventures as a nature enthusiast and amateur photographer in his journey across the globe exploring sights, surroundings and animals from places as diverse as Sri Lanka, India, Africa and even to the Galapagos Islands.
A Sri Lankan-born Singaporean and lawyer by profession, Nawaz has spent most of his career in Singapore after a brief period at the Attorney General’s Department in Sri Lanka.
Making regular visits to the island, “The Heart of the Wild”, sees Nawaz recall his happy childhood growing up in his ancestral home of Galle Fort.
“There were two factors that led me to take on this project. One being my love for wildlife and the other, to make a contribution to society,” he said going on to speak passionately on the sadly growing list of endangered animals in the world – and the threat from poaching.
“I will make my small contribution to society in the form of a book to create an understanding and appreciation for the world around us,” Nawaz said.
Chief guest for the launch Central Bank Governor Dr. Indrajith Coomaraswamy expressed his support and appreciation of Nawaz’s craft and passion. The book , Mr. Coomaraswamy said, advocates the mammoth duty humans beings have to the world - which should not be taken lightly.
Nawaz is donating all the proceeds of his book to the National Cancer Institute in Maharagama. The worthy cause is supported by the Rotary Club of Colombo, which is actively engaged in the promotion, sale and collection of proceeds that will be donated to the Cancer Hospital.
A limited number of books is available at the Barefoot Gallery at Rs. 4500.