Authors OnLine -

Authors OnLine has always had an association with Sri Lanka, in fact the original website was designed by one of our founders whilst sitting on a beach in that country. Derek Reece spent three months writing it whilst visiting a friend who had retired and built a beach house there right in the path of the Tsunami. We have yet to establish whether or not this friend has survived the disaster or was even on the island at the time.

The first technician we ever employed back in 1998 was a young English born Ski Lankan, Kosala Samarajiwa known to us all as 'Kosy', whose family lived in a village right in the path of the Tsunami. We have managed to establish that they are all alright, albeit with some hair-raising lucky escape stories. His father for example, had just got on to a bus minutes before the bus station itself was swept away along with 600 people, most of whom are either dead or remain unaccounted for.

Kosy moved on from us after a couple of years and now works for 'The Mayday Group' in Luton, but we have always kept in touch. The Mayday Group who specialise in travel themselves, with car rental and chauffeur cars as well as travel extras have very quickly jumped in to help with the Tsunamis disaster. They have organised collection points for clothes, dry food, bottled water, baby items, tents, candles, and other necessities at their 'Europcar' franchise offices in The Home Counties at Bedford, Luton, Edgeware, Stevenage, Hemel Hempstead, and Woodford Green. All items collected will be delivered to the Sri Lankan High Commission on the 31st December and then on the 3rd Jan, and further dates thereafter.

If you are in any position to help in anyway, please click on the link above which takes you through to the web page on their website that gives you the full details. This website also gives details of where you can make monetary donations such as the Disaster Emergency Committee and Save The Children.

We thank you for any help you you may be able to give!