CLF returns in Feb as Festival on the Beira
From its origins in the Colombo Public Library, redolent of spicy acharu sellers, malign crows, and all that is vibrant of a bustling tropical metropolis and park, the HSBC Ceylon Literary and Arts Festival has moved to Cinnamon Lakeside this year…
Thereby it has not lost the picturesque, however, as this third edition is styled the ‘Festival on Beira’- the most exotic element in that part of Colombo being part of the scene even though the sessions themselves will mostly happen within the Imperial Court of the hotel.
The organisers and sponsors of CLF at a media conference announcing the event. Pic by M.A. Pushpa Kumara
Having said that, they promise lots of thrilling ‘extras’ this year, from February 13 to 15, celebrating the full gamut of literature, arts, music, theatre and film. There would be more than 50 speakers from across the world and more than 33 sessions, aimed at putting Sri Lanka on the map- “bringing the best of the world to Sri Lanka and taking the best of Sri Lanka to the world” as Mark Surgenor, CEO of HSBC Sri Lanka said.
The core mission of the festival is to nurture creative talent, reverse the brain drain and create meaningful opportunities for Sri Lankans in the arts sector.
Amidst the delights promised is a look at Nicolas Bouvier’s Le Poisson-Scorpion, a Ceylon travelogue like no other by a Swiss master of the art; Julia Quinn of ‘Bridgerton’ fame taking us to the elegant Regency period with Ashok Ferrey; hidden treasures of Sri Lanka through the eyes of Eshan Goonesekera who has had a passport to the back of the beyond; and Alice Albinia who wrote Empire of the Indus, a story of that river as she travelled through Pakistan, India and Tibet.
Also tantalising is Edith Hall’s look at why ancient Greek stories are still very relevant today and Ira Mukhoty bringing to life the ambitious, scheming women of the Mughal court; among many, many other jewels.
The Art Festival will be held in association with the John Keells Foundation, themed The Resilient Isle and featuring 15 Sri Lankan artists. The Embassy of Switzerland will present the exhibition of Nicolas Bouvier’s rare photos.
Performing arts events include a jazz concert by the renowned Quintetto Denner from Italy supported by the Italian Embassy, while the Emma Rice Company supported by the British Council will hold a 10-day theatre workshop.
The children’s festival has over 15 workshops for all ages, and seeing as nurturing youth is a core mission, there will be free student passes and a focused volunteer programme to give young participants a hands-on festival experience. There will also be a youth-focused art workshop by a senior Sri Lankan artist.
The Future Writers Programme returns, to open doors for aspiring writers and foster creative entrepreneurship offering pathways to the next generation of Sri Lankan storytellers. A highlight, of course, would be Savin Edirisinghe, the winner of the first edition of the programme who also went on to win the last year’s Gratiaen.
As Orlando Edwards, Country Director for the British Council, said, the aim is to make CLF and Colombo bywords alongside Cheltenham, or Jaipur…
Be there as the Beira gets happening from February 13 to 15. For full programme and to book festival passes, please visit ceylonliteraryfestival.com.
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