Lit buffs happy to be back for CLF 2
The HSBC Ceylon Literary and Arts Festival got off to a bracing start on Friday 17, while the pennants fluttered and a cohort of literary buffs from Colombo, outstations and abroad milled around the Public Library, where the green with the War memorial and the spacious parkland was a pleasing prospect for all.
Among the audience was Shyam Selvadurai, a veteran of literary festivals in Lanka’s shores, having curated the Galle Lit Fest years back, who enthused, “It’s really lovely this is in Colombo. I’m happy to see it’s survived to the second year. It gives access for people who can’t go to Galle as accommodation there is very very expensive… The line up is also very interesting.”
Legends in Lace and Steel: Manu S. Pillai in conversation with Josephine Quinn
Said Ashok Ferrey who was involved with the inception of the CLF last year, “lovely to see how the festival has grown… A year ago (when) I did it (it) was very much a gorilla festival, and now it’s a proper one. Seeing a child going to his teenage years is lovely.”
Ameena Hussein
While there were happy oohs and aahs about the A/C in the hall from the audience, the first sessions we attended were promising, with Ameena Hussein delving into her oeuvre, from her depictions of the Muslim confraternity (“my relatives have written me off as a bad egg”) to her collection of erotic stories that nearly got her arrested.
Ashok Ferrey dived with Kiran Desai into a matter all too familiar. Their discussion titled Where Worlds Collide veered from ‘those strange Indians living in India’ (a phrase that resonated with the local audiences too) to the question of exoticization (how she gets accused of writing about ‘guavas and monkeys’ while American writers can easily sell ‘cowboys and Cormac McCarthy style writing’!).
Amongst those in the crowd of attendees was Ashan Akbar from London who said “I’m friends with lots of writers here and I run a festival myself in Bangladesh- the Dhaka Literary festival- similar but bigger. It’s also my first time in Sri Lanka! Always wanted to come- this is the best opportunity I think to get to see a country- through writers, and their writing and conversations… I like the relaxed setting- some festivals can get busy whereas this is very laid back… quite synonymous with the country.”
Added Sonia from Berlin, “I’m (originally) from Canada (but) I lived in Sri Lanka for 5 years and I loved attending the Galle Literary Festival and I love to read books from Indian and Sri Lankan authors- I think they have a very unique way of storytelling, with details of animals, colours, smells, food, characters and their families, and I enjoyed that immensely.
“When I heard that friends of mine are organising this festival I decided to plan a trip and come and support this. So this is my first time but I think this is well organised and I feel like I haven’t really left.”
A teacher from Holy Family Convent, Bambalapitiya said, “So far, it’s good- (mine) are all literature students, and we are trying to encourage them to read the authors in the festival… Beautiful, and wonderful, the best part of it being it’s free for students…”
A group of students from the Royal Institute added, “It was nice learning about how the authors (transmit) their own life experiences to (their) books”.
The Ceylon Lit Fest ends today at the Colombo Public Library. If you feel like a sortie, see the programme on www.ceylonliteraryfestival.com.
Additional reporting by Kavya Kadurugamuwa
Searching for an ideal partner? Find your soul mate on Hitad.lk, Sri Lanka's favourite marriage proposals page. With Hitad.lk matrimonial advertisements you have access to thousands of ads from potential suitors who are looking for someone just like you.