​The Sri Lanka Association for Commonwealth Literature and Language Studies (SLACLALS) is a chapter of the Association for Commonwealth Literature and Language Studies  (ACLALS).  ACLALS was started in 1964  and accredited to the Commonwealth in 2005.
 
SLACLALS was created in the late 1970s under the guidance of Ashley Halpé , Professor in English at the University of Ceylon at the time, as the Sri Lanka branch of ACLALS

The aims of SLACLALS are to 

• Encourage the study of and research into Commonwealth literature and language, with special reference to Sri Lanka
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• Support creative writing in English. ​


​Did you know?

SLACLALS was created when James Goonewardene attended the first ACLALS conference in 1964 at the University of Leeds, and suggested to Professor Ashley Halpé and others to set up a branch of it in Sri Lanka!
SLACLALS has held several conferences and seminars over the years in Peradeniya, Colombo, Kandy,  and Sabaragamuwa. You can navigate to past conferences and the call for papers for the next conference (2025) in the Conferences tab.

Phoenix: Sri Lanka Journal of English in the Commonwealth is the journal of the Sri Lanka Association for Commonwealth Literature and Language Studies (SLACLALS). You can explore past issues, and the current issue here. 

SLACLALS is run by an Executive Committee, which is elected through a General Meeting of members. The current Executive Committee comprises academics from the University of Kelaniya, Open University of Sri Lanka, Postgraduate Institute of English (PGIE), University of Sri Jayewardenepura, and University of Peradeniya. ​

See the newly elected committee



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​SLACLALS focuses on creative writing through competitions, as well as by including readings from published creative work at its conferences. 
​The Sri Lanka Association for Commonwealth Literature and Language Studies (SLACLALS) is a chapter of the Association for Commonwealth Literature and Language Studies (ACLALS).