The Festival Day Pass for Saturday, January 27th 2018 gives you access to 12 literary events taking place throughout the day.
Day Pass: Rs. 5,000 – Sold Out
Day Pass Events
Saturday, January 27 2018
9:30 am – 10:30 am
Nirupama Rao and David Dabydeen: Ambassadors & Ministers Plenipotentiary and Extraordinary to China.
- Event: Fairway Galle Literary Festival Panel
- Participant: David Dabydeen & Nirupama Rao
- Location: Fairway Pavilion, Galle Fort
- Duration: 1:00 hrs
- Availability: 250 seats
David Dabydeen was the first Ambassador of Guyana to China. Nirupama Rao, former Foreign Secretary of India, was Ambassador of India to China. In this wide-ranging panel discussion, these two diplomats who are also prolific writers, will share with us their reflections on China’s changing role in the international political and economic landscape and on what this might mean for the future of their own countries and of ours.
(Nirupama’s participation in the Festival is made possible by the generous sponsorship of Amari Galle.)
(David Dabydeen’s participation in the Festival is made possible by the generous sponsorship of Unilever Foods.)
10:00 am – 11:00 am
Shrabani Basu & Gananath Obeysekera: Uneasy Lies The Head That Wears The Crown
- Event: In Conversation with Ameena Hussain
- Participant: Shrabani Basu & Gananath Obeysekera
- Location: Fairway Pavillion, Galle Fort
- Duration: 1:00 hrs
- Availability: 250 seats
Two writers, one a historian and the other an anthropologist, will discuss the research that led to works reappraising the final years in the reign of two monarchs who played a seminal role in the histories not only of their own nations, but in the international arena of their times. Sharabani presents history with a writer’s sense of drama; Gananath obtained a first in English before pursuing anthropology. The historical research of each author is, perhaps as a result, delivered to us with a writer’s flair and eye for passion.
11:00 am – 12:00 noon
The Lord David Puttnam: Climate Change – A View From The Future
- Event: Solo Act
- Participant: Lord David Puttnam
- Location: Halle de Galle, Galle Fort
- Duration: 1:30 hrs
- Availability: 500 seats
Lord Puttnam looks at the environmental challenges – as well as the political and economic interests – which threaten the world for our children and grandchildren. How will future generations view the level of responsibility we’re currently showing for the future of our planet?
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Louis De Bernières: Louis De Bernière’s Mandolin
- Event: Thinking Out Loud
- Participant: Louis de Bernières
- Location: Southlands College, Galle Fort
- Duration: 1:00 hrs
- Availability: 500 seats
In this session, Louis de Bernières will speak to us about the music of language and the integral role music had played in his writing career. He will talk about his interests and output both of poetry and prose, and about the significance of his newest poetry being available only in audio form. We hope he may be prevailed upon to play his mandolin, as well!
2:30 PM – 3:30 PM
Charulatha Abeysekera & Chhimi Tenduf-La: A Duet
- Event: A Duet
- Participant: Charulatha Abeysekera & Chimmi Tenduf-La
- Location: Fairway Pavilion, Galle Fort
- Duration: 1:00 hrs
- Availability: 250 seats
In this session, two very fine Sri Lankan writers will discuss with Sallyanne Atkinson, who grew up in Sri Lanka, the influences of their own lives and upbringing on their works. Charulatha Abeysekera’s novel Stories won this year’s Gratiaen Award; Chimmi The session will explore the extent to which place and origins impact on the genesis of a writer’s creative output.
Charulatha’s novel Stories won this year’s Gratiaen Award; Chimmi’s three works of fiction have enjoyed widespread acclaim.
2:30 PM – 3:30 PM
Maylis de Kerangal, Shrabani Basu, Sebastian Faulks & Alexander McCall Smith: Translating Print into Film
- Event: Fairway Galle Literary Festival Panel
- Participant: Maylis De Kerangal, Shrabani Basu, Sebastian Faulks & Alexander McCall Smith
- Location: Hall de Galle, Galle Fort
- Duration: 1:00 hrs
- Availability: 500 seats
Four writers whose work has been translated from the medium of the word to that of the film, share their experiences of seeing their creations – or the subjects of their research – taking flesh and blood form and appearing on screen. The competing claims of feature film and television series will also be explored in this discussion of the hazards and triumphs of the process of translating the written word into motion picture format. The session will be moderated by Ashok Ferrey, who will bring his rich experience of the film industry and of writing, to bear on the discussion.
4:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Justine Picardie: On Coco Chanel
- Event: Solo Act
- Participant: Justine Picardie
- Location: Galle Heritage Villa by Jetwing, Galle
- Duration: 1:00 hrs
- Availability: 50 seats
This is a chance to hear first hand about the Editor of Harper’s Bazaar’s best-selling biography of Coco Chanel.
4:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Sebastian Faulks: A Retrospective
- Participant: Sebastian Faulks
- Location: Hall de Galle, Galle Fort
- Duration: 1:00 hrs
- Availability: 500 seats
(Sebastian Faulks’ participation in the Festival is made possible by the generous sponsorship of Sri Lanka Telecom.)
4:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Charles Allen: Ashoka – The Search for India’s Lost Emperor
- Event: Thinking Out Loud
- Participant: Charles Allen
- Location: Fairway Pavilion, Galle Fort
- Duration: 1:00 hrs
- Availability: 250 seats
From 270BC to 233BC, Ashoka ruled every part of the subcontinent except for India’s southernmost tip, an empire larger than that of any Indian ruler before or since; his influence spilled even further abroad, into Sri Lanka and past the furthest border of present-day Afghanistan. He shepherded the rise of one of the world’s major religions, and in a remarkable U-turn, he transformed himself from a callous conqueror into an intelligent and pacific ruler. Yet, as Charles Allen’s Ashoka shows, the details of his life had to be prised out from the crevice of the past, in a process that revealed as much about the emperor as about the caprices of Indian history. (Samanth Subramanian).
5:30 pm – 6:30 pm
Bruce Wannell: Travelling in Iran
- Event: Thinking Out Loud
- Participant: Bruce Wannell
- Location: Fairway Pavilion, Galle Fort
- Duration: 1:00 hrs
- Availability: 60 seats
In this panel, Bruce Wannell, traveller, translator and scholar – author of a travel guide to Iran will take us on a journey through country, sharing with us the many tales arising from his wanderings in this country he has come to know so well.
(Bruce Wannell’s participation in the Festival is made possible by the generous sponsorship of Sri Lanka Tourism and Promotions Bureau.)
5:30 pm – 6:45 pm
Justice Shiranee Tilakawardane: Murder She Said
- Event: Solo Act
- Participant: Justice Shiranee Tilakawardane
- Location: Hall de Galle, Galle Fort
- Duration: 1:15 hrs
- Availability: 500 seats
During a career spanning over thirty years in the field of law, Justice Shiranee Tilakawardane has garnered a reputation for her dedication to human rights and the rule of law whilst scoring many firsts as a female in the Sri Lankan legal system. Her passion and pursuit of equality and justice are reflected in her extensive efforts in gender education, child rights and environmental law in both local and international contexts.
Join her in an exploration of the complexities of the administration of the law and especially the criminal law, as she embarks upon an examination of three gripping murder trials in Sri Lanka. The absorbing narrative will transport the audience into the world of criminal investigation where they will discover the challenges faced by investigators. The audience will develop a greater appreciation of the intricacies of forensic evidence such as DNA, and fingerprint analysis and will be led acknowledge the importance of the skill of investigators which has the potential to change the course of an investigation.
