Tales from the Cafe: Before the Coffee Gets Cold

By debut Sri Lankan author Sandesh Bartlett, ‘Of God, of Man and Mortal Things’ is an anthology of forty-nine covering a range of themes from war and racism, politics and nature to love and death. Written primarily in rhyming verse, the book approaches topics with both heartfelt solemnity and light humour.

Against the backdrop of the Indian Ocean, in the early hours of the morning, are two men who walk on the beach sharing their life stories. Roy, a middle manager from a manufacturing plant, is desperate for answers as he struggles to lead an initiative that threatens the jobs of the managers of the factory. Accompanying him is Ed, a retired medical doctor turned corporate leader, who has managed to save a chain of companies from bankruptcy. Using the human body as a leadership model, Ed narrates stories from his own past to elaborate on the different stages involved in the development of human maturity within organizations. Encapsulated in a moving story of ambition, success, family and loss, is a series of anecdotes that talk about the purpose and fulfillment at work and life as a whole.