Retired Professor Jinadasa Danansooriya, former Head of the Department of Sinhala at the University of Kelaniya, received the prestigious Sāhitya Ratna Award at the State Literary Awards 2024. The ceremony was held on November 27, 2024, at the Temple Trees premises in Colombo.

Professor Danansooriya is renowned for his extensive contributions to Sinhala literature, including works in literary criticism, poetry, translations, and children's literature. His notable scholarly publications include Sāhitya Vesmuhunu (1978), Vicāra Saṭahan (1995), Vimarśanātmaka Lipi (2000), and Kalātmaka Parikalpanaya (2005). As a poet, he is celebrated for works such as Yadam Haňḍa (1976) and Mahajana Aḍhikaraṇayata (1979). His contributions to translation include acclaimed works like Hirakaruvā Bähädäkkemu (1974), Itāli Janakatā (2009), and Sisira Rātriya (1992). He also authored numerous beloved children’s books, including Sādāraṇa Naḍukārayā (1979), Siṃha Maduru Yuddhaya (1982), and Minisungē Häṭi (1990).

Throughout his illustrious career, Professor Danansooriya has been recognized with numerous accolades, including the titles of Kalāpati Gadyakāvya from the Wayamba Provincial Council in 1992 and Wayambaputra Prasādinī in 2004. He was also the recipient of the Pranāma Award in 1996 and the Kalābhūṣaṇa state award in 2021. In 2022, his translated literary work Ḷamā Kollakaruvō (2021) was nominated for the Best Young Literature Award (Translation) in the Sinhala category at the State Literary Awards.