Original Article – ETG
The Galle Literary Festival 2026: 22–25 January
The coastal city of Galle in Sri Lanka will once again buzz with visitors from around the world attending the wonderful Galle Literary Festival. Set to be its 13th year, this lively cultural event will run from 22–25 January 2026, and honestly, it’s a must if you’re the type to pack more paperbacks than swimwear when you’re off on holiday. The lineup is looking good, bringing together a combination of prominent authors and speakers within the walls of the old Dutch Fort.
The festival has grown to be a notable cultural event – in the words of Alexander McCall Smith, “This, in my view, is one of the most engaging literary festivals in the world” – full of lively literary talks with a bit of music and mischief thrown in. Despite being one of Sri Lanka’s biggest events now, it still manages to feel surprisingly intimate. So far, the 2026 line-up includes Ben Macintyre, Afua Hirsch, Devdutt Pattanaik, Dr Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai, Helen Macdonald, and a clutch of other fascinating people. The festival is also known for tackling tricky topics head-on, from identity and politics to climate and culture, making it far more than just literary chit-chat.
Check it out:
ETG co-founder, Sam Clark says:
“We love the Galle Literary Festival. It’s been an incredible event over the years, punching way above it’s weight in terms of the authors who attend. The magic of the event though, aside from the glorious settings, is the intimate and cosy nature of the talks and venues. It would be a fantastic part of any holiday in Sri Lanka.”
To explore your options for a holiday to Sri Lanka, including the Galle Literary Festival, feel free to get in touch with us.
The Galle Literary Festival 2025: 6-9 February
The 12th year, this cultural event ran from 6-9 February 2025, and was something else. The lineup was strong and the literary talks spanned a wide array of subjects from philosophy to cultural identity and book genres from cricket to crime. Among the star names: the winners of the International Booker Prize 2024, German author Jenny Erpenbeck and translator Michael Hofmann, along with TV presenter, author and British endurance athlete, Louise Minchin and Sunday Times bestseller, Sathnam Sanghera. Recent additions are the acclaimed author Ben Macintyre and the historian Peter Frankopan.
The festival is a social affair, with lovely lunches and dinners in relaxed settings (the perfect opportunities to chat with your favourite author), and evening cocktail events in atmospheric venues, where conversations flow as freely as the arrack!
Everything you need to know…
What is the Galle Literary Festival?
The Galle Literary Festival is an annual 4-day event that allows visitors the opportunity to appreciate the works of Sri Lankan and international authors, take part in literary discussions and enjoy a variety of activities. Held in Galle on the south coast of Sri Lanka the festival was started in 2005 by hotelier Geoffrey Dobbs and has grown to include art trails, cookery, cabaret and music in recent years.
Full list of the Speakers at the Galle Literary Festival 2025
Daniel Alphonsus • Nihal Arthanayake • Michael Attenborough CBE • Ravinder Bhogal • Ryan Chetiyawardana • Channa Daswatte • Saraid de Silva • Gehan de Silva Wijeyeratne • Saba Douglas-Hamilton • Jenny Erpenbeck • Dom Fernando • Rosanna Flamer Caldera • Peter Frankopan • V V Ganeshananthan • Peter Godwin • Manori Gunawardena • Romesh Gunesekera • Radhika Hettirarachchi • Afua Hirsch • Michael Hofmann • Ameena Hussein • Jeyakantha Janu • Sunela Jayewardene • Ramya Jirasinghe • Susan Jung • Maduranga Kalugampitiya • Dr Naazima Kamardeen • Catherine Karnow • Lalith Karunatilaka • Adrien Krause • Simon Lister • Helen Macdonald • Ben Macintyre • Aanchal Malhotra • Rashmika Mandawala • Sharanya Manivannan • Tasha Marikkar • Louise Minchin • Greg Mosse • Kate Mosse CBE • Vidusha Nathavitharana • Dr Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai • Dr Eithne Nightingale • Andi Oliver • Miquita Oliver • Simon Parker • Devdutt Pattanaik • Johann Peiris • Sashi Perera • Shiromi Pinto • Aube Rey Lescure • Dr Adam Rutherford • Razeen Sally • Philippe Sands • Sathnam Sanghera • Shyam Selvadurai • Shyala Smith • Mylvaganam Thilakarajah • Nicholas Thomas • Justin Whyte • Pathum Wickramarathne • Yudhanjaya Wijeratne • Hajra Williams
The Galle Literary Festival Programme
Galle Fort will showcase a dazzling line-up of international and local speakers including International Booker Prize winners, best-selling authors, acclaimed journalists and stand-up comedians. In 2025, the festival promises to be a multi-cultural celebration of the arts with speakers from across the globe. There will be workshops, talks and events, and foodies can enjoy culinary conversations with food writer Ravinder Bhogal among one of the chefs attending (don’t misse out on Gourmet Galle Festival, either!).
We absolutely love planning trips to coincide with this festival so get in touch with us today to find out how you can combine your holiday to Sri Lanka with the Galle Literary Festival 2025.
Last year’s Galle Literary Festival 2024
Among the star names are Booker Prize laureates Shehan Karunatilake and DBC Pierre, renowned war correspondent Christina Lamb, and celebrated authors such as Anthony Horowitz and Alexander McCall Smith.
Speakers at the Galle Literary Festival
Nayomi Apsara • Mary Beard • Jaspinder Bilan • Sam Bleakley • Nicholas Brookes • Emily Dobbs • Tishani Doshi • Nizrana Farook • Peter Frankopan • Karan Gokani • Guy Gunaratne • Romesh Gunesekera • Anthony Grayling • Jeremy Lee • Kiran Millwood Hargrave • Amanthi Harris • Will Harris • Afua Hirsch • Ameena Hussein • Balli Jaswal • Amanda Jayatissa • Radha Kumar • Andrey Kurkov • Andrew Lownie • Isurinie Anuradha Mallawaarachchi • Moni Mohsin • Nujeen Mustafa • DBC Pierre • Janice Pariat • Vidura Bandara Rajapaksa • Cynthia Shanmugalingam • Gehan de Silva Wijeyeratne
The Galle Literary Festival Programme
The festival is open to everyone, including children (with special events and activities featuring talks by authors like Jasbinder Bilan and Kiran Millwood Hargrave). There will be a spotlight on Sri Lankan authors, both those based in Sri Lanka and around the world.
In 2024, the festival will continue to be a space where writers, poets, and artists can share their work with others, just as it was in the past. Visitors can enjoy an art walk with new works on display and tasty food events that highlight the best local dishes made by top chefs. There will also be tea and poetry sessions and meals at interesting places hosted by guest speakers. Plus, there’s a special day of events in Jaffna to add variety to the festival.
The exact programme will be announced in due course and event tickets will be launched later this year. More information can be found at galleliteraryfestival.com.
To explore your options for a holiday to Sri Lanka including the Galle Literary Festival, please contact us today.