Thomia: The Entangled Histories of Lanka & Her Greatest Public School

by Richard Simon pub. 2025 Lazari Press, Colombo. Two volumes, 960pp.

The history of a great school: a key to the historical and cultural development of Lanka itself.

S.Thomas’ College is arguably the greatest and most influential boys’ school in Lankan history. A famed nursery of the country’s elite, it has produced four Prime Ministers and hundreds of other nationally important figures, wielding an enduring influence on society, culture and politics.

Thomia is a detailed history of S. Thomas’ College and its role in the emergence of modern Lanka. It provides a unique, eye-opening perspective on the growth and development of our nation. Thomia traces changes in Lankan life and society, views and values and fashions, over 200 years – a tale of nationalism and colonialism, war and peace, education and culture, morals and manners, and much, much more.

Yet the most important story it tells is that of S. Thomas’ College itself – its fragile beginnings, the dangers and controversies that beset it through the years, the lives and works of its inspired founder and its great wardens and teachers, its many famous (at times, notorious) alumni: the triumphs and tragedies, the joyous moments and the comic – a fascinating tale that carries the reader eagerly along with it.

The greatest Old Thomians – and others

With a cast of over 900 characters, from the missionary founders of modern education in colonial Ceylon to the movers and shakers of modern Lanka, from august schoolmasters and legendary sportsmen to history-making press barons, film stars and military heroes, Thomia brings to life the grand pageant of Thomian and Lankan history. It is the fruit of over twelve years of diligent scholarship at home and abroad, presented in a style that reflects the lifelong passion of a working author for his craft.

Thomia is more than an exhaustive chronicle of St Thomas’s College and a nostalgic treat for Old Thomians wishing to relive the ‘best years of their lives’. It is broader and far more ambitious in scope: a book that aspires to be both relevant and enjoyable, and to make its own mark on history.

A book of lasting value, designed and created with passion

Thomia is a substantial book, made for durability and lasting value. Two handsome quarto volumes totalling 960 pages, firmly bound between four-colour printed hard covers and packed in a matching printed board slipcase, it will be an ornament to any bookshelf, home or corporate library.

About the author

Born in 1958, Richard Simon attended S. Thomas’ Preparatory School, Kollupitiya through 1964-65 and S. Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia from 1966 to 1977. He has written and published several books on Sri Lankan history and culture including, most recently, Ceylon Tea: The Trade that Made A Nation (2016, ctta) and Sri Lanka: the Island from Above (2017, Barefoot). As a writer and editor, he counts nearly forty years in advertising, publishing and related fields, and has worked in India, Singapore and the UAE as well as (for the most part) in his own country.

How to order

Thomia is available exclusively from the publisher, Lazari Press.

To order, visit https://www.thomia.com/hhy or email gallebuck@yahoo.co.uk