The Galle Literary Festival has established a reputation as one of the most acclaimed and successful literary festivals on the globe. With the next edition scheduled to be held in January 2011, the literary enthusiasts of the country await a delightful interaction with some of their favourite writers.
The festival will feature award winning renowned poets, writers and biographers from a multitude of countries from across the globe, including authors from the Ukraine, Nigeria, Australia, Malaysia, India, Canada, Pakistan, the United States, England, Turkey, South Africa and Sri Lanka.
Winners of the Booker, Nobel, Whitbread, Orange, Gratien and Commonwealth prizes will rub shoulders with talented young aspiring writers, providing an impressive panel of authors who will appeal to a very wide audience.
Planned activities include panel and solo discussions; events and concerts in an informal ambience; late night readings and reviews; dynamic workshops; as well as gourmet lunches, al fresco picnics and glamorous dinners.
The writers who will grace this years festival include Kiran Desai, Orhan Pamuk, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Jung Chang, Mohsin Hamid, Damon Galgut, Andrey Kurkov, Charles Allen, William Fiennes, Tash Aw, Pankaj Mishra, Pauline Melville and Jill Dawson. Local and diasporic writers from Sri Lanka will include Randy Boyagoda, Karen Roberts, Liyanage Amarakeerthi, Roshi Fernando, Prashani Rambukwella and Ranjini Obeyesekere amongst other luminaries. Poets will be represented by Roger McGough, Daljit Nagra, Omar Musa, Tishani Doshi and Vivimarie VanderPoorten.
In addition a distinctive gourmet contingent will feature Tripat Narayanan, the Malaysian celebrity chef and Englands premier expert on wine Jancis Robinson amongst other eminent participants.
The intention behind the festival is to provide a forum where local literary artists are given the opportunity to share the stage with their counterparts from overseas. In addition it is hoped to identify talented youth in Sri Lanka who have the potential to make their mark on the literary scene.
This years festival will have a special spotlight on Malaysia with the participation of Malaysian poets, writers and chefs, the intention being to highlight the culture and literary heritage of the southeast Asian nation.
For the traveller seeking
Sri Lanka hotels to experience the delights of the island nation the accommodations of the John Keells Hotels Group will prove ideal.
Sri Lanka beaches, festivals and cultural highlights are all on offer for the visitor.
