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Is This The World’s Most Beautiful Literary Festival? – Citizen Femme

Original Article – Citizen Femme

By Demi Perera

Sri Lanka’s southern coast has always had magnetic energy, even when it was little more than a few fishing boats bobbing in the sea. Now – once a year, for four days in January – the spotlight falls firmly on what was once an abandoned 17th century Dutch fort in the town of Galle as it hosts the Galle Literary Festival.

Galle has always drawn domestic tourists; most would arrive to spend a day swimming and walking along the beaches and old fort walls – a long, dusty, rock-lined road against which waves splattered and sprayed. There were no luxury hotels or fancy eateries as everyone returned home at the end of the day.

The culmination of a long civil war, in 2009, brought a new generation of tourists to the island, for the first time in nearly three decades. The southern and eastern coasts became popular with surfers and put villages such as Weligama and Arugam Bay on the map. With this global popularity came bigger and better places to stay, eat and drink and, today, this stretch of sand represents a lifestyle: surf schools, yoga studios, vegan cafes and bars dominate every inch of the coast.

Yet, it appears that there’s still room for more to happen here. During Galle Literary Festival, like-minded writers, poets, artists and lovers of the written word descend on the town to share experiences through hosted panels, discussions and cultural exchange.

A roster of events, scattered within the fort, make this the location of perhaps the world’s most beautiful literary festival. The fort in its entirety has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1988 and it’s this magical setting which steals the show at the Galle Literary Festival. In 2024 the festival runs from 25 – 28 January.

Visitors meander between the festival’s programme, winding their way along the fort’s narrow and rambling streets, past a Dutch Reformed Church originally built in 1640, a lighthouse which dates back to 1939, and an 18th century Dutch hospital which – arguably – has the best view of the ocean in town, from its balcony.

The Literary Festival will cover everything, including: a panel talk titled Transcending Cultural Expectations: The Female Body in the Arts; lunch with authors such as Romesh Gunesekera and Balli Kaur Jaswal; and a conversation about the story of Sri Lankan cricket. Sessions will be led by literary greats including Jasbinder Bilan, Manu Joseph and Mary Beard.

The festival also hosts an Art Trail which invites visitors to curated exhibitions, open houses and tours led by artists, highlighting the heritage architecture of what is a living museum. This year’s trail includes works from Malki Jayakody, Mahela Pansithu and Fabienne Francotte and explores themes such as colourism and emotions of those facing violence – expressed through water colour, photography and graffiti. Hundreds of volunteers will help visitors navigate the fort.

Gourmet Galle trail runs alongside it all, and is a list of culinary events which takes place along the entire south coast – from Galle to Weligama – for 12 weeks between January and February.