Publication History
Little has been confirmed regarding the Sinhalese Harry Potter translation. The first authorised Sinhalese translation of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone was published in 2006 by Sarasavi Publications. Prior to this publication, unofficial Sinhalese translations had circulated locally, but these were produced without licence and are not recognised as part of the official publication history—unauthorised translations are not included in the Harry Potter Specialist collection. The authorised edition was translated by Abhaya Hewawasamand issued under the Sinhalese title හැරී පොටර් සහ මායා ගල (Harry Potter saha Māyā Gala). Contemporary Sri Lankan press accounts describe the release as part of Sarasavi’s broader programme to expand access to internationally significant children’s literature in local languages.

Acquisition and Rarity
While reprints of the first Sinhalese edition of Philosopher’s Stone are relatively common and easy to acquire, the true first printing proved impossible for me to acquire by myself. I was thankful for the help of a resident in Sri Lanka who, after many months of searching, was able to track down a copy of the book for me. This highlighted just how difficult it would be for collectors around the world to acquire the true first Sinhalese translation when it’s difficult even for residents of Sri Lanka to find.

The copyright page for the first Sinhalese edition has the following text in English at the top: “This paperback edition first Published in 2004.” Further down the page it states, in Sinhalese, “First Edition Published: 2006.” This seeming contradiction remains unresolved. Presumably the “2004” reference is a typographical error.