White Mask

"White Mask" is Govinnage's first collection of poetry to be published. He selects a wide variety of themes such as place, identity, love and despair as his subject matter. He also writes about natural justice, human values, and the environment. Readers will discover powerful imagery and fresh insights, particularly in the way Govinnage has portrayed Australian migrants and Aborigines in his poetry.

One of the most remarkable features of Govinnage's poetry is his strong desire to discover new values and explore other interpretations of the Australian continent, its First Nation -- Aborigines --and the new settlers: migrants, both black and white, who have arrived in the country since white colonisation.

In Govinnage's poetry, we find not only a nostalgic presence of a rich culture, but the ability to recollect and narrate an interesting interplay between home and exile.