Annasi and Kadalagotu: Savour local literature on 21 October

Continuing to expand the borders of literature, the A&K (Annasi and Kadalagotu) Literary Festival will be back on 21 October at the Mount Lavinia Hotel for the fourth consecutive year. Entrance for the full day festival is priced at only Rs. 100 in keeping with the core objective of making literature available for all, aptly themed ‘Simply Local, Simply Literature’.

Born from the idea of providing a platform for anyone who loves literature from all walks of life – since literature should be enjoyed in its own stride, even as you nibble upon slices of Annasi or Kadalagotu – over the past few years, the A&K Literary Festival has brought together a variety of writers, poets, dramatists, musicians and artists in a range of panels that discuss writing, publishing, performing, travel, digital writing, and comics. 

The panel discussions for this year, as in the past, promise to push the perimeters of literature by not confining it to novel or poetry writing alone, but to explore the many other avenues in which ideas are expressed. The dialogues attempt to touch upon governance, writing in the digital era, science fiction, short films as well as an opportunity for debut writers. 

A short story competition in all three language – English, Sinhala and Tamil – will be conducted parallel to the literary festival where writers can submit their pieces under the two age categories of 13-18 years, and 18 years and above. Submissions can be made directly through the A&K Lit Fest website www.aklitfest.com/shortstory.php 

The winners of the competition will be announced at the literary festival on 21 October.

Two creative writing workshops, for students and adults, will be held in the morning on the day of the festival. Registration for these workshops are free. Since seating is limited, each workshop will only host 30 people. To register, email Nishika on [email protected] 

As done every year, the A&K Literary Festival will once again open its doors to writers who are looking for a space to launch their new books. The past years have seen these book launches help writers immensely as they provide them with a viable option to an otherwise expensive and tedious task of organising a book launch. Those interested in launching their books at the A&K Literary Festival can contact Dhananath on [email protected] for more details.

The Mount Lavinia Hotel is the official venue partner, creating the ideal setting for literature to be enjoyed; seeped in its own history and picturesque beauty, with the Indian Ocean as the background.