Annasi and Kadalagotu Literary Festival tomorrow

Friday, 24 April 2015 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Jetwing Head of Sales and Marketing Ishanth Gunewardene with Capt. Elmo Jayawardena and members of the organising committee – Pix by Shehan Gunesekara By Inshira Shainaz The Annasi and Kadalagotu Literary Festival, an event with the intention of uplifting the talent and creativity of Sri Lankan authors and poets, is scheduled to take place on 25 April at the Western Province Aesthetic Resort from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The AK Lit Fest will feature the work of English, Sinhala and Tamil writers in panel discussions (with translations wherever necessary). Through simultaneous sessions, the festival will include a talk presented in a format similar to the renowned TED Talks on ‘Insights from a Writer’s Creative Process’, and a plethora of 40 minute panel discussions covering topics such as, ‘Women In Sri Lankan Literature’, ‘Tamil Footprint in Sri Lankan Literature’, etc. In addition, a publisher’s clinic will accommodate the queries of new writers hoping to get their work published. Organised by a set of 12 members associated in partnership with the Rotary Club of Colombo Regency, tickets are priced at Rs. 100 and are available at the gate on the day. The event will set out to provide an opportunity where the authors and their readers are enabled, without the high cost of attending international literary festivals. This event will bring together literary enthusiasts from every nook and corner of the country. It is a collaborative platform where those who share a passion for literature can come together, and explore the way Sri Lankans write and read. Annasi and Kadalagotu Organisation Founder Captain Elmo Jayawardena said, “This is a very simple event, it is not my organising or my team organising but it is all of us. The necessity of this event is to get each and everyone to believe there is a concept which is simple, which is effective and which will reach everybody in the entire literature world covering all three languages.” The festival will look at blogs and their place in literature: three bloggers will address questions about the virtual explosion of Sri Lankan writing online. There are also panel discussions on writing in retirement, the place of Sri Lankan English in the novel, and the power of expression. In addition to these, Gratian winners will take to the stage to talk about their preferred form and their experiences writing for and winning the coveted award. These and many more await the literary enthusiast, and the trilingual nature of the festival means that every citizen will find something to his or her taste, which resonates of his or her cultural upbringing. The festival’s objectives are to create an interest in contemporary local literature of hitherto known and unknown writers and creative artistes, as well as fuel the burning passions of latent literary hopes scattered around Sri Lanka. There is a publishers’ clinic where budding authors can ask questions one-on-one from some of the leading publishers of the country. These discussions will be complemented by film screenings, book launches, music, and even annasi and kadalagotu vendors. “On behalf of Jetwing Hotels, we are excited to be a part of the AK LitFest,” said Jetwing Head of Sales and Marketing Ishanth Gunewardene. “There is an infinite amount of potential in our people, to create, to express, and to imagine through the power of the written word. The AK LitFest will be a vital step in encouraging both budding and established authors, in all three languages – a bridge to greater heights. A festival of this kind also provides enthusiasts a unique opportunity for one-on-one discussion with their favourite authors, and we look forward to an immensely successful program; one we hope will continue to be an annual event in the Sri Lankan literary calendar,” he continued.