Abstract:
In the late 1950s, Tikiri Banda Lewis Goonaratne (Founder) started a business in
publishing books. He started printing books with few employees in a place near
Gampaha. This was the humble beginning of Rathna Books. Together with his
bellowed wife, began a new chapter to unfold and paved the foundation for building
the empire of ‘Rathna Poth Prakasakayo’. In 1958 Mr. Goonaratne opened a new
book shop at No. 513, Maradana Road, Colombo 10 for the book loving patrons. It
was him who introduced the term “Prakashakayo” meaning “publishers” to the
printing industry in Sri Lanka. At that time, Rathna Poth Prakashakayo, which had a
prominent and famous name among the printing and selling of school textbooks,
expanded its business field by publishing new stories, short stories, translations,
fiction, religious, historical, political, scientific, medical science, cultural and various
dictionaries etc., till today has achieved a unique position as the leading name
among book publishers in Sri Lanka.
