Saturday Dec 21, 2024
Saturday Dec 21, 2024
Saturday, 21 December 2024 00:53 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
Festival passes and day passes now available for purchase from galleliteraryfestival.com.
The Galle Literary Festival has unveiled its eagerly awaited literary programme for 2025. With over 100 talks, workshops, and events scheduled from 6 to 9 February, the lineup showcases the festival’s strengthened dedication to diversity and meaningful dialogue.
Dominating themes featured in the program this year centre around home and identity, legacy and global cultural connections. The festival presents a strong opening of headline interviews with Shyam Selvadurai, Afua Hirsch and Sathnam Sanghera and closes with an all-Sri Lankan panel on identity in books, reinforcing the appeal of the four-day festival pass.
Additional highlights from the 2025 Galle Literary Festival program include the following talks among many others in the line-up:
Romesh Gunesekera, Maduranga Kalugampitiya and Kate Mosse with Louise Minchin.
Daniel Alphonsus and Peter Frankopan with Rahul Jacob.
Michael Attenborough, Jenny Erpenbeck and Greg Mosse with Tracy Holsinger.
Afua Hirsch, Simon Lister and Ben Macintyre in conversation with Julia Wheeler.
Adam Rutherford and Yudhanjaya Wijeratne.
Simon Lister in conversation with Simon Parker.
Naazima Kamardeen, Sathnam Sanghera and Nicholas Thomas with Georgina Godwin.
Saba Douglas-Hamilton and Manori Gunawardena in conversation with Anushka Wijesinha.
Guests can explore the full program, including event descriptions, timings and venues, here.
“We’re thrilled to share this year’s program, which represents our most dynamic lineup to date,” said Festival Curator Saskia Walker. “With brilliant guests joining us from within Sri Lanka and abroad, we have put together an array of inspiring and engaging discussions, creating a platform for curiosity, creativity and global conversations in Galle. We look forward to welcoming everyone to celebrate the power of stories and ideas at GLF this coming February.”
Outside of the festival pass sessions, a vibrant calendar of events complements the talks, featuring everything from literary lunches and dinners to cultural and nature explorations — all set against the stunning backdrop of Sri Lanka’s South Coast. The festival’s tea-and-poetry sessions and social soirées provide a rare opportunity to connect with authors in a comfortable and intimate setting.
The South brims with entertainment during the festival. In addition to interactive workshops led by visiting speakers, engaging panel discussions, and solo presentations, a trail of performances can be witnessed throughout the festival featuring jazz evenings, comedy sets, dance and drama performances and screenings, offering vibrant and diverse experiences.
Festival passes available to purchase now from galleliteraryfestival.com
Festival passes include access to talks highlighted in the program.
Tickets for lunches, dinners and workshops are individually priced and go on sale in January.
