HSBC Galle Lit Fest 2012
Jan 24 2012.
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The HSBC Galle Literary Festival 2012 saw both book-lovers and others gather in the famous Galle Fort area for a period of 5 days (Jan 18 - Jan 22).
The varied and stimulating sessions drew enthusiastic readers from all over the isle.
Pictured here are some scenes from the Festival.
The appreciation of literature in sun and sand unfolded as Galle Literary Festival concluded successfully for the 6th consecutive year. Presenting a mix of international and local writers to an ever-increasing audience, the GLF lived up to its expectations with a well established five days of literary events, encompassing writing in all its forms.
To put a face and voice to the written work of a loved author is always an exciting encounter. I entered an escapade to Galle for a much needed vacation and especially to see Aminatta Forna previewing her book 'Memory of Love'. She spoke of methods to remembering the patchwork of characters with a brief synopsis on each one.
However having gracing the festival for stimulating debate, lively conversation and fascinating author insights, I couldn't resist the other sessions including those of Rayan Boyagoda and his preview of Beggar's Feast, Nayantara Sehgal and Katherine Frank with political insights on the life of Indira Ghandhi.
Randy Boyagoda
Book Reviewed: Beggar's Feast
Beggar’s Feast is a rags-to-riches picaresque about the clash of worlds and the revenge of empires, about fate and history and harbours and birthright and brothels and moneylenders and metal-benders. Our main character in this sprawling novel is one Sam Kandy, born in a tiny village in what was Ceylon; his strange odyssey to affluence and power touches down in Australia, Singapore and Sri Lanka, spanning three marriages and many families, city and country, and all of the 20th century.
Brief Bio: Teaches American Literarture at the Ryerson University. He is a frequent contributor to Canadian magazines such as The Walrus and newspapers including the New York Times,Globe and Mail and National Post.
Other Books: Governor of the Northern Province
Thoughts on GLF: The Festival was well organized; it feels great previewing my book in my home country. It was a proud moment for me, as I launched the local edition of the Beggar’s Feast at the GLF this year. The session turned out lively and interactive."
Aminatta Forna
Book Reviewed: Memory of Love
Brief Bio: Aminatta Forna was born in Glasgow and raised in Sierra Leone and the United Kingdom. She is the author of The Memory of Love, Ancestor Stones, The Devil that Danced on the Water, and The Memory of Love, bagged the 2011 Commonwealth Writer's Prize for Best Book.
Thoughts on GLF: The GLF has been an opportunity for me to speak about a book that bears tremendous relevance to the Sri Lankan community. The theme of my most of my books is to talk about ordinary people facing extraordinary events. I was able to highlight the perspective and mentality of most Africans which was quite similar to the Sri Lankans, during the civil war.
Katherine Frank & Nayantara Sehgal on Indira Ghandhi
Mr.Jayantha Dhanapala moderated this session with a balanced view on a relatively political subject, that of Indhira Ghandhi , a dear friend of Sri Lanka in the past.
Katherine Frank
Brief Bio : Katherine Frank is a lecturer and acclaimed writer and biographer. She was a university lecturer for fifteen years before becoming a full-time writer, and she still lectures on a wide range of historical, political and biographical topics. She is the author of A Voyager Out the highly acclaimed Indira: The Life of Indira Nehru Gandhi, as well as a biography of Emily Brontë. She is currently writing a biography of Daniel Defoe.
Thoughts on GLF: It was great visiting Sri Lanka, this is my first GLF appearance. I’ve been to a number of festivals around the world, especially in the UK. I must say the combination of the social atmosphere together with the unique events pairing like-minded authors, dynamic debates on topical issues, and specially commissioned work by leading contemporary writers.
Nayantara Sehgal
Brief Bio: Nayantara Sahgal is into one of India's most prominent political families. With her mother her uncle Jawaharlal Nehru as India's first Prime Minister, and her first cousin, Indira Gandhi as India's third Prime Minister, it is not surprising that politics and history inspire and underlie much of her writing.
Sahgal has authored her political writings on Indira Gandhi, Her Road to Power - along with a collection of essays, Point of view: a personal response to life, literature and politics.
Thoughts on GLF: It was great meting Katherine after 12 years and I couldn’t have asked for a better moderator than Mr.Jayantha Dhanapala. I loved the response from the audience and I enjoyed myself at the festival.
The Festival gave both the writers and audience an arena to explore and discuss ideas relevant to their literature and to life today.
Visitors flocked to the Festival from around the world and Sri Lanka to be inspired, to enter the debates, to sit back and listen, and to take part themselves in the many workshops and interactive experiences offered not only for literary enthusiasts but for all those who enjoy the sun and sand on the isle of interest!
Four days of sunshine, enthusiastic crowds and great writers – An unmatchable festival indeed!
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