The Ceylon Literary and Arts Festival, scheduled to kick off from February 8-12 is a step towards transforming and elevating the country’s literary and creative sectors. One of its main objectives is to attract the youth back to the literary scene by providing them free access to certain sessions during the course of the festival. The event, which will be held in the heritage cities of Kandy and Colombo aims to re-establish Sri Lanka as a premier destination for tourists, investors and new partners.

At the heart of the festival is the showcasing of a wide array of talents featuring an eclectic mix of Sri Lankan and international authors, artists, filmmakers and other creative professionals. Speaking at the event renowned author and the Festival’s chief curator Ashok Ferrey said that the Festival will feature an impressive lineup of 42 authors, 22 international and 20 local literary figures offering diverse perspectives and insights. In his comments, Chief Executive Officers of HSBC Sri Lanka and Maldives Mark Surgenor reflected on their contribution to the arts and culture in the country.

As the title sponsor, their ambition is to bring the best of the world in the sphere of literature, art and culture to their clients at the upcoming Festival. “It will also provide an opportunity for our clients to link with international and local authors, artists and filmmakers,” he added. The British Council of Sri Lanka will bring down two authors from the UK who will share their experiences while in Sri Lanka. Speaking at the event British Council Director Orlando Edwards said that this Festival would be a great meeting of leading writers from across the globe which would engage young people and cultivate a love of reading and learning by exposing them to diverse literary voices. It would also be a great opportunity to stimulate a deeper understanding of both Sri Lanka and the UK’s rich literary heritage.

Some of the key highlights of the event include a children’s festival curated by Artika Bakshi and Neluka Silva while art enthusiasts can also look forward to artisanal walks, art talks and workshops in both Kandy and Colombo. The festival will also feature screenings of notable short films including ‘Straight Line Crazy’ and ‘Cassius X’. The event will include 11 sessions in Kandy and 20 sessions in Colombo. The events in Kandy will be held at the Suisse Hotel and Trinity College while the events in Colombo will be held at the Public Library, Colombo. For tickets and more information on the event visit www.ceylonliteraryfestival.com

PIX BY Pradeep Dilrukshana