GLF back with a bang
Festival Director Amrita Pieris steps up to the podium and with that the press conference announcing the Fairway Galle Literary Festival (FGLF) of 2016 is underway. Her speech is full of good news. Not only will FGLF be returning on January 13, 2016, after a hiatus that has lasted three years, but Shyam Selvadurai is also back as one of a team of international curators, counted among whom are founder Geoffrey Dobbs and well-known author Sebastian Faulks.
Two new “mini-festivals” have been added in Kandy (January 9) and Jaffna (January 23), which will span two days each. An exciting collaboration with the Electric Peacock Festival will bring a series of live musical performances for festival-goers, while the announcement of the winner of the DSC Prize for South Asian Literature will make headlines around the world. Most exciting though for Amrita is perhaps the chance to celebrate Sri Lankan literature with the newly minted Fairway National Literary Award which will recognize the Best Novel in Sinhala, Tamil and English in conjunction with the Fairway Galle Literary Festival.
In a press release, Fairway Holdings Managing Director Hemaka de Alwis said: “The Galle Literary Festival has developed into a highly acclaimed and internationally recognised event over the years and we are pleased to be asso- ciated with the revival of this unique event as the title sponsor this year. Our involvement stretches beyond the mere financial support as a sponsor of the event. In addition, we intend to promote, recognize and reward literary excellence in Sri Lanka.”
Consequently, there’s prize money to be had – Rs.500,000 each for the three winners of the best novel in Tamil, Sinhala and English and Rs.100,000 for the four others on each shortlist.