Speakers: Ravinder Bhogal • Jenny Erpenbeck • Saraid de Silva • Saba Douglas-Hamilton • Afua Hirsch • Michael Hofmann • Sunela Jayewardene • Ramya Jirasinghe • Sharanya Manivannan • Helen Macdonald • Louise Minchin •. Greg Mosse • Kate Mosse • Devdutt Pattanaik • Sashi Perera • Nguyen Phan Que Mai • Aube Rey Lescure • Adam Rutherford • Razeen Sally • Sathnam Sanghera • Philippe Sands • Shyam Selvadurai 

 Galle Literary Festival has today announced its highly anticipated first author line-up for 2025. From 6–9 February, the Festival will welcome a high-profile  cast of local and international speakers to Galle Fort. With a programme including  International Booker Prize winners, bestselling authors, celebrated translators and stand-up comedians, the Festival’s 12th edition promises to be its most diverse to date. The initial line-up reflects the Festival’s commitment to celebrating global voices. 22  speakers from more than 10 countries feature, including the winners of the International  Booker Prize in 2024: German author Jenny Erpenbeck and translator Michael Hofmann.

Also included in the announcement are British broadcaster Louise Minchin; bestselling authors Afua Hirsch and Sathnam Sanghera; mythologist Devdutt Pattanaik; and Kate  Mosse, novelist and co-founder of the Women’s Prize. A start-studded celebration of literature, culture and the arts, Galle Literary Festival in 2025  will host an enriching calendar of conversations, workshops and events. Guests can also expect a vibrant entertainment programme, headlined by popular comedian Sashi Perera, as well as culinary talks, with food writer Ravinder Bhogal among visiting chefs. Galle Literary Festival director, Giselle Harding, said: “Today’s speaker reveal sets the tone for what will be an incredible Festival in February.  

With these first 22 names, you get a real sense of the variety and diversity at the heart of Galle Lit Fest. From prizewinning international authors to some of the world’s foremost cultural thinkers, we’re hugely excited about how our lineup is taking shape. With more amazing names to come, Galle is the place to be in February.” More speakers for Galle Literary Festival 2025 will be revealed later this year, followed by  the full programme. Ticket information, including details of Early Bird Passes will be circulated soon. Event tickets will be available to book exclusively through the refreshed festival website.