Former UN Employee Brings Sri Lanka to the West
Melbourne, Australia (PRWEB) May 11, 2014 -- Roderic Grigson entered the United States from Sri Lanka at age 21 with only $10 to his name.
A short-term position at the United Nations Headquarters in New York eventually led Grigson to a 12-year stint in the UN Department of Conference Services and two years volunteering for the UN Peacekeeping Forces in the Middle East.
Grigson’s unique opportunity to live in both Eastern and Western cultures led him to write “Sacred Tears,” a fictional narrative based on actual events that brings awareness to the recently concluded civil war in Sri Lanka.
“I was inspired to write the novels after meeting and talking to people who were affected by the conflict,” Grigson said. “One youth in particular, a Sri Lankan Moor from Colombo, had an interesting story to tell about how he ended up with the PLO in Lebanon.”
The first book of three, Grigson writes “Sacred Tears” to highlight the turmoil Sri Lanka faced in the 1980s, as well as promote its rich history, culture and beauty. The three connected books cover inter-ethnic relationships and political issues that shape the lives of people living there.
Grigson’s ultimate goal is to impress upon readers Sri Lanka is an ancient and mysterious country with a lot to offer the rest of the world.
“Actual events have been woven into this gripping story, providing insight into the tactics of guerrilla warfare and the dark side of human nature,” Grigson said. “The story comes to life through the eyes of the two men, who play roles on different sides of the conflict.”
Sacred Tears by Roderic Grigson
Hardcover, $31.99
Paperback, $23.65
e-Book, $3.99
ISBN: 978-1-49181-662-2
Available at amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com and http://www.sacredtearsbook.com.
About the author
Born in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Roderic Grigson entered the United States at age 21 on a tourist visa. He worked at the United Nations Secretariat in New York for 12 years and joined the UN Peacekeeping Forces in Egypt and Lebanon, serving on the Suez Canal during the signing of the Israel Egypt Peace Treaty and in South Lebanon during the Lebanese Civil War. Grigson returned to New York in 1979 and joined the fledgling UN Technological Innovations team. He spent the next seven years implementing office information systems in six languages in UN regional offices around the world. Rod migrated with his wife to Australia in the late 80s, where he became a senior executive for a global IT company. Grigson currently resides in a leafy suburb southeast of Melbourne, pursuing his dream of being an author.
Andrea Hawman, Bohlsen Group, +1 (317) 602-7137 Ext: 2063, [email protected]
Share this article