We had a chat with Tracy Holsinger, Curator Children’s Programme, on her involvement with the GLF.

Q Can you tell us about the main reason for involving children at the Galle Literary Festival?
Literature is for humans of all ages to consume and enjoy. It's how we learn about our lives, ourselves and different cultures in the world around us. It builds our imaginations and develops empathy, which I think we need more of as we face the issues that surround us in this increasingly chaotic world. To be informed and entertained through stories is a fundamental part of our lives, and you're never too young to start appreciating literature and even learning to tell your own stories.

Q What do you hope to achieve through this programme?
This year, we are focusing on emotional intelligence and different tenures, be they material or emotional, for all age groups. The 2 - 5 age group's session, for instance, is called What Makes You Smile, and there's a series of activities including a smile safari and fun with our clowns Veena and Panda. The 6 - 8 age group will have, among other sessions, storytelling and activity sessions with Arthika Aurora Bakshi and My Little Handbook Of Feelings, and with Shyala Smith and her story Sai's Magic Silk.  

There's also a role-play session with actors Tehani Chitty and Tracy Jayasinghe, based on the life of Mary Anning - a female palaeontologist in the 19th Century. A lot of her discoveries were claimed by her male colleagues at the time. There's a lot to learn and understand from her story, and we have an Origami specialist, Shazad Synon, who is making sure that participants will literally be digging up skeletons from the past.

We're also keen on teaching skills, so the older age groups will have a songwriting session with musician and composer Justin Whyte, where they will write, perform and record their own song. There's also a session on Haiku and Haiga which I will be conducting, while Imaad Majeed's Cut Up Poetry session will introduce how to integrate text and design. Irushi Tennekoon's sessions focus on storyboarding and panelling for comics.

We're ending the day with a Literary Quiz and a Poetry Slam, and we encourage all participants to bring their original writing to the slam. These are just some of the activities on offer this year. The full Children's Programme is available at https://galleliteraryfestival.com/childrens-festival/

Q How has the response been so far?
The response is always fantastic. The Children's Programme has been a standard part of the Galle Literary Festival for many years. I took over from the wonderful Dylan Prins in 2018, and have been running it since. We are often oversubscribed in the age groups, so this year we have increased the number of participants per age group.  I'm also really happy that we are hosting it at the Martin Wickramasinghe Folk Museum this year.

Participants can visit the Museum, and see, for example, our traditional looms, canoes and carriages, and also superb examples of our Puppetry tradition. Most of the sessions will take place in the garden. We're using our theme of textures to set up the various spaces, and there's also a chill-out area where parents of younger children can stay all day, if they wish. There is plenty of parking space, and Lunch will be a picnic!

Q Tell us about your other involvements with GLF, as you are also moderating a session this year.
The session I'm moderating is Behind the Curtain: Writing for Theatre on Saturday 8th Feb at 4.30 pm, with acclaimed theatre director Michael Attenborough, and novelists and playwrights Jenny Erpenbeck and Greg Mosse. I'm really looking forward to this, and I think it will be illuminating for anyone who writes or is interested in writing for the stage. I'm also in Conversation with Michael Attenborough at a literary lunch on the 9th of February, and on the 6th I'll be part of a group that is staging From The River To The Sea in support of Palestine at the Rock Garden, which is the festival's performance space.

By Kshalini Nonis