‘Words on the Mount’
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Peter Grimsdale
‘Words on the Mount’, the virtual literary festival of Mount Lavinia, to commemorate the 210 year history of Mount Lavinia Hotel, to be held on 8th and 9th July. The event seeks to promote Sri Lanka as a tourist destination with a rich literary history and colonial legacy. To that end, the iconic hotel will be hosting a number of writers who have a ‘special connection’ to the island.
Louis-de-berniere
The guests for Words on the Mount include: winner of the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize for Best Novel in 1994 Louis de Bernières, thriller writer and award-winning television producer Peter Grimsdale, writer and broadcaster Stephanie Calman and author Rohan Candappa.
Rohan Candappa
A special part of the 210 celebrations will be the launching of the Second Edition of the book ‘Mount Lavinia, the Governor’s Palace’, whose author Shevanthie Goonesekera is also curator for Words on the Mount. Elaborating on the objective of celebrating the written word at Mount Lavinia Hotel, Shevanthie noted, “We want something new, to be challenged, to be innovative. To promote another generation of writers in the country and inspire the creativity of Sri Lankans to do new things.”
Stephanie Calman
The first day of the event will be invitation only and accommodate around 150 people. The second day will be open to the public but guests will have to register free of charge before attending. During the course of the event Louis de Bernières will introduce his new novel, ‘The Dust That Falls From Dreams’. Part of a trilogy set during the First World War, Louis’ first book ends in Sri Lanka. Louis has a very special connection to the island which he will reveal during his visit to Mount Lavinia.