Press Release      

Date: 10 September 2013

An Impressive Array of Local and International Writers to Grace Festival

Held at the UNESCO World Heritage Site in George Town, Penang

29 November to 1 December 2013

George Town: The George Town Literary Festival returns this year from 29 November to 1 December with an impressive array of local and international writers. The Festival which will be held in George Town, Penang will host 18 acclaimed writers from the United States, Canada, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, India, Australia, Italy and Malaysia who will engage on the theme The Ties That Bind.

The inaugural festival started in 2011 with five internationally recognised Malaysian writers, who explored the theme History and Heritage – Where Are Our Stories? Last year featured a stellar line-up of writers, which included our national laureate A. Samad Said, Man Asian Literary winner Tan Twan Eng, best-selling Belgian writer David van Reybrouck and 11 other writers from all over the world.

This year’s GTLF will continue its celebration of world literature in poetry, prose and spoken word. The theme this year is The Ties that Bind, which will look at how writers deal with homelands and hope, love and loss, memory and history.

Our headlining author is Malaysian icon Datuk Lat, writer and cartoonist, who is known and beloved the world over. Other Malaysian writers include Tash Aw, whose third novel was recently long-listed for the Booker Prize, Shamini Flint, Glasgow-based Chiew-Siah Tei, scholar and poet Dr Ghulam Sarwar-Yousof, Penang-based writer and poet Cecil Rajendra and noted playwright Huzir Sulaiman.

Also confirmed is the best-selling American author Eric Hansen who wrote the book, Stranger in the Forest, a personal account of being the first Westerner to walk 4,000 miles across Borneo with two Penan guides. Published in 1982, Eric Hansen is also the author of three other books and is widely known as one of the most successful travel writers of his generation.

The festival aims to feature indigenous writers as well; award-winning Ali Cobby Eckermann, a Torres Strait aboriginal poet from Australia and Mahat anak China, a Temuan writer and poet.

The list of esteemed international writers attending the festival include Michael Kleeberg (Germany), Christine Otten and Rodaan Al Galidi (Netherlands), Aruni Kashyap (India), Annelies Verbeke (Belgium) Marco Ferraresse (Italy) and Madeleine Thein (Canada).

We will also be featuring Wayang Kata VXI, a spoken word/poetry event which will showcase the diversity of Penang’s many cultures through expat and local poets. Last year’s event featured work in Malay, English, Thai and Tamil and was one of the most memorable events of the festival.

The moderators for this year’s festival include a stellar line-up of Malaysian writers and critics who include Umapagan Ampikaipakan, Sharaad Kuttan, Ann Lee, Yin Shao Loong, Sharon Bakar, Khoo Salma, Jasmine Low and the Indonesian translator/writer Kadek Krishna Adidharma. We will also have nightly film screenings curated by filmmaker/publisher Amir Muhammad.

GTLF is partnering with Borders, which will be the official bookstore for the festival. They will also be presenting the Borders Children’s Programme which will feature specific literary events for children throughout the festival weekend.

Another star attraction this year is the introduction of a trail based on Man Asian Literary Prize winner, Tan Twan Eng’s first book, The Gift of Rain. ‘The Gift of Rain Trail’ is designed to experience the award-winning book in 3D. From the moment one steps onto the boat to absorb the sights, sounds and scents of Penang’s northern coast line of Tanjung Tokong, Tanjung Bungah and Batu Ferringhi, the book’s venues and plot will start to come alive. The trail then continues on a bus and with a trishaw ride through Penang’s historical streets, which backdrop the story. It finally ends with a breathtaking funicular train ride up Penang Hill. As highlights of the trail, the author himself will meet with participants during the seafood lunch and steamboat dinner set at venues mentioned in his book. The fee for the ‘The Gift of Rain Trail’ will be announced later.

All other events except the ‘The Gift of Rain Trail’ are free.

We are grateful for the sponsors we are working with this year – the Goethe Institut, British Council, the Embassy of the Royal Kingdom of the Netherlands, fingertec, and the US Embassy.