Literati

The Galle Literary Festival is one of the most anticipated annual events in the international literary circuit.
It will take place from January 18-22, 2012. The event will be partnered by HSBC which will act as the festival’s title sponsor.
HSBC Sri Lanka and Maldives CEO Nick A. Nicolaou said, “As the world’s local bank we are delighted to partner with what is undoubtedly a world class event that’s held in the historic Galle city  and coincides with the recent opening of our new branch in that city. Our customers too have a particular interest in literature, arts and culture and our association with the HSBC Galle Literary Festival 2012 will give them the opportunity to be part of an event that showcases Sri Lanka’s diversity to the world.”
In its very first year the festival was voted “No.1 Literary Festival in the World” by Harper’s Bazaar (UK). In 2011 the Orange and Commonwealth Prize winning author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie described the festival as “one of the best literary festivals I have been to. The country is beautiful, the people are warm, and there was something vital and meaningful about the events and the exchange of ideas.”
Next year’s festival will be no different to any other as it will bring forth a participants’ list who are visiting from all over the globe as well as closer to home. The 2012 festival will feature award winning writers, historians, poets and biographers from Palestine, Ireland, Sierra Leone, Singapore, India, Canada, England, USA, Germany and Sri Lanka. Among the writers attending will be Joanna Trollope, Richard Dawkins, Tom Stoppard, D.B.C Pierre, Meera Syal, John Boyne,
Aminatta Forna, Simon Sebag Montefiore, Sir Alistair Horne, Nayantara Sahgal, Hari Kunzru, and Sri Lankan local and diaspora writers Romesh Gunasekera, Randy Boyagoda, Roshi Fernando, Sakuntala Sachithanandan and many more. Festival Curator Shyam Selvadurai said, “I have invited authors whose work will be of interest to Sri Lanka and Sri Lankans.
This festival will be a platform to learn about other cultures but also to look at ourselves.” The festival will open with a debate on issues dealing with post-war Sri Lanka and there will be panels on Dr. Martin Wickramasinghe, the Tamil Diaspora and a documentary and discussion on the Burgher community. There will also be a duet series where two writers will spar off on a
subject familiar to both, such as the life of Indira Gandhi, Henry Kissinger’s Legacy, the trauma of war and other ‘fascinating’ subjects. With the support and partnership of Magic Ice Cream and One Trust we are extending our stellar children’s outreach programme to Jaffna this year where some of the festival authors will be meeting with schools in the north to do teacher training and children’s workshops. The Festival will continue to feature its much loved readings, tea and poetry series, gourmet lunches and dinner, lunchtime concerts and late night musical revues.”
“The Festival is indebted to our long list of sponsors, old and new which include the Norwegian and Netherlands Embassies, British Council and American Centre.”