From January 25th to 28th 2024, the picturesque, maritime city of Galle was transformed into a vibrant global literary hub, welcoming world renowned authors, famous and award-winning journalists, noted poets, and popular historians of our times. The Galle Literary Festival made a triumphant comeback after a lapse of four years, with a star cast of celebrated speakers, including Romesh Gunasekera, Ameena Hussein, Booker Prize 2022 winner, Shehan Karunatilaka, author of the highly acclaimed “7 Moons of Maali Almeida”, and a fleet of famous names in fiction, including the world famous murder mystery writer, Anthony Horowitz, Sebastian Faulks, Christina Lamb, Alexander McCall Smith and Sri Lankan cricket enthusiast, British born Nicholas Brookes of “An Island’s Eleven” fame.
The Galle Literary Festival 2024 went beyond traditional lectures and discussions, offering attendees the chance to participate in interactive workshops and masterclasses. These sessions allowed aspiring writers and literature enthusiasts to develop their skills,learn from seasoned professionals, and gain practical insights into the world of writing, editing, and publishing.
Since its inception in 2005, the Galle Literary Festival, the brainchild of Geoffrey Dobbs, has become one of the most highly anticipated arts and cultural events in South Asia. The festival, beloved by authors and attendees alike, offers a range of talks, workshops, and art exhibitions set amidst a historic setting. Celebrating the creative arts, the festival not only champions the work of writers and poets but also provides a platform for painters, photographers, and cinematographers.
Intriguing art exhibitions were held throughout the Galle Fort in selected boutique hotels during the “Art Trail”. Of particular interest was “Galle Fort through the Eyes of Edward Atkinson Hornel” by the Scottish colonial painter,at the charming Galle Fort Hotel.
The beautiful black and white photos depict Sri Lankan life from a bygone era. Hornel is believed to have taken around 200 images in Sri Lanka ,in 1907,which are safely kept with the Scottish National Trust, the custodian of A.E. Hornel’s home Broughton House and studio.
Art historian, artist, architect and curator of the exhibition, Ismeth Raheem, explained that the idea for an exhibition of Hornel’s photographs of early 20th century life in Sri Lanka was born through the links that trustee of the National Trust Sri Lanka, architect Pali Wijeratne has with the INTO (International National Trusts Organisation) and following a 2020 exhibition titled ‘E. A. Hornel: From Camera to Canvas’ in Edinburgh, which was organised by the National Trust of Scotland that examined how photography influenced Hornel’s painting process.
Scottish artist Edward Atkinson Hornel (1864 to1933) is internationally recognised for his captivating paintings of maidens in romantic outdoors settings and portraiture. In exploring Hornel’s photography, curator and art historian Ismeth Raheem and ARTRA Editor-in-Chief Azaara Jaleel presented a highly educational guided tour to guests of the exhibition ,depicting rural life in the early 20th century Ceylon.
Throughout the 4 day literary festival, there were various informative talks held by distinguished writers, poets and historians. The famed murder mystery writer, British born,Anthony Horowitz, kept attendees highly entertained with his interactive talks: “The Anatomy of a Thriller with Amanda Jayatissa and Chhimi Tenduf-La” and “In Conversation with Curtis Jobe -“Murder He Wrote”,in which he discussed the pain he endured growing up in public school and to feeling a sense of liberation after withdrawing from social media platforms, in particular from X.
Horowitz entertained the attendees by discussing the intricacies of penning a riveting murder mystery novel, and how he draws his inspiration from people that he meets on a daily basis. As he correctly summed up : The truth is illusive!” Horowitz’s novels includes two Sherlock Holmes novels ”The House of Silk ”and ”Moriarty”, “Magpie Murders”, and also the highly popular Alex Rider series. He is currently working on additions to the Hawthorne series and another installment for the Magpie Murders.
Beyond the realms of literature, “Gourmet Galle” also provided much excitement . The event is a 12 week-long gourmet festival taking place along the southern coast of Sri Lanka,and is a partner to the highly successful Galle Literary Festival. An “A” list of chefs in the local and international culinary world will be participating in the event, including world famous Sri Lankan chef, Peter Kuruwita. Each weekend a different venue and a different chef will offer delicious and intimate Sri Lankan dinners set amidst the various elegant hotels in Galle, where the only the finest local ingredients will be used.
GLF 2024 was also an opportunity for the local and expat entrepreneurs to showcase their handcrafted products at the Galle Literary Festival Market. Newasia.lk spoke to Joby Davies from “Shall We Cactus”, a Britisher who has been resident in Sri Lanka for the last 13 years. He told us that his company is an art collaborative working exclusively with Sri Lankan designers, creating eye catching postcards and posters with a distinct vintage look. “Shall We Cactus” brings together the best in local talent to showcase beautiful designs in the form of travel art, catered towards the local and tourist markets.
The Galle Literary Festival has been a resounding success where both organisers and volunteers strived hard to make the event successful. It was a chance for scholars, journalists,historians, artists and writers, and book lovers to connect on a deeper level. The four day extravaganza ,which ended on 28th January 2024, returned after 4 years following the Covid-19 pandemic, but attendees will treasure the unforgettable and beautiful memories that were created in the beautiful city of Galle, with its unique architecture and atmosphere. As Harper Bazaar proclaims, it truly can be regarded as : “The World’s No.1 Literary Festival”.
