He won the Gratiaen Prize for his novel The Road From Elephant Pass[1] which was later made into a film.
De Silva was known for his interests in birds, evident in The Road from Elephant Pass and The Ginirella Conspiracy.
Thought to be natural and initial enemies, the pair are able to overlook their political differences to overcome the hostilities between them and get safely to Colombo, protecting an explosive secret.
This book sold over three thousand copies in its initial printing, making the publisher, Vijitha Yapa, reprint twice more.
On 28 May 2006, Nihal De Silva was killed by a land mine explosion at the Wilpattu National Park.