Literati light up Galle

Galle Literary Festival (GLF) 2008 - Sri Lanka - 16th - 20th January:

Prasad Abu BAKR

This year’s festival themes were based on Climate Change and Conflict Resolution while placing the accent upon highlighting the great depth and diversity of English writing originating here in Sri Lanka.

The festival was opened by the Governor of the Southern Province, Kumari Balasuriya by lighting the ceremonial oil lamp against the rhythms of drumming.

The Law Court Square in the Galle Fort came alive with a large gathering turning up to witness the opening of this prestigious event which was happening for the second consecutive year but with much more pomp and glory, with more slick planning going into it this time around.

Set against the setting sun beyond the ramparts of the old Fort the event became colourful not only by beautifully dressed men and women who came from all over the world to attend it but also by their very persona, which almost was a who’s who kind of summary, if one actually set about listing names.

There were writers and writers, which is what the event is all about but there were others . Architects, painters, designers, composers, photographers... And the list can go on because reading is mostly everybody’s hobby leaving behind the fact what kind of professional work their lives are dabbling with.

So it was only natural that an event of this nature attracts people from all walks of life. And that’s exactly what it did, they turned up from all parts of the globe to witness and participate in Festival which brings forth the power of words.

The organisers made sure that not only the initial opening ceremony was designed to impress, but what followed for the next four days too to be “Action packed’ in a literary sense.

Architect Channa Daswatte taking people through a tour of a wide variety of Sri Lankan architectural highlights spread through Galle to Tangalle on the first day of events set the ball (point) rolling for many in the morning of the opening day.

A remarkable History featuring the award winning author William Dalrymple at the The Halle de Galle took visitors to the event through the Indian rebellion of 1857-8 and the deposition of the last Mogul Emperor through the readings of his book ‘The Last Mogul’.

While Marc Blanchet who has published many books of poetry in his native France made his appearance with a collection of his photographs from his recent exhibition titled ‘Photographs of the Travellers’ at the Maritime Museum Hall.

As a part of the run up to the five days of the festival events the local schools and the community have been cleaning up the beaches in and around the Fort. Instead of discarding what is collected, rubbish will be recycled and turned into art or useful household items.

Children will be taught to make a stage out of bottles and turn plastic into weird, wonderful furniture by artists during the festival Amongst the many other participants this year besides activities directly connected to literature are Ruk Rakaganno, the organisation which has been campaigning for years to give recognition to the importance of conserving the island’s enormous bio-diversity, save forest areas, wetlands and refuges to threatened fauna.

‘Rainforest Rescue International’ too is taking part steering forward the message of forest conservation and restoration.’ Web of Hope’ an on-line database, educational resource and consultancy service highlighting role models for sustainability from around the globe, ‘Galle Heritage Foundation’ which is a society created to preserve and protect the Fort working as an eye opener to the residents living within of the value and significance of their historic homes and ‘Adopt Sri Lanka’ which began their work immediately following the aftermath of the Tsunami is working towards redressing the imbalance between coastal communities and those inland largely forgotten, are some of the organisations which are participating this year in a grand and constructive scale at the festival which goes hand in hand with this year’s festival themes.

Amongst the cross section of participants there are Alexander McCall Smith, a writer of detective novels from Zimbabwe, Alexandra Pringle, Editor-in-Chief of Bloomsbury, Anne Ranasinghe the German poetess who has made Sri Lanka her home, Ashok Ferrey, an architect turned writer, born in Colombo but raised in South Africa, Ayathurai Santhan, a bilingual writer from Jaffna, Barbara Sansoni leading textile designer and artist, Brian Keenan a winner of the 1991 Irish Times Literature Prize for his non-fictional work, Carina Cooper a cookery and travel writer who was a Columnist and Food Editor for London’s Evening Standard, Carl Muller, Deepika Shetty a Broadcast journalist with Channel News Asia, Chris Stewart who was the drummer and a founding member ‘Genesis’, Gore Vidal the prestigious American writer, Elmo Jayawardena who is set to launch his collection of short stories ‘Rainbow in Braille’ at this year’s festival, Indran Amirthanayagam who writes poetry and lives in Vancouver, Jean Arasanayagam the celebrated literary voice of Sri Lanka. Kumar Sangakkara, Sri Lanka’s debonaire cricketer will make an appearance too besides others from the literary and the field of arts such as Laki Senanayake, Lal Medawattegedara, Manuka Wijesinghe, Michael Meyler, Michael Roberts, Nuri Vttachi labelled Asia’s funniest and pungent columnist and author, Richard Boyle,Shyam Selvadurai and Vickram Seth all amongst the colourful list that’s taking part in this years ‘Galle Literary Festival’which has been voted the No.1 Literary Festival among six of the best festivals from around the world according to Harper’s Bazaar Magazine in 2007.