A literary first for Myanmar
- Published: 25 Jan 2013 at 00.00
- Newspaper section: Life
Myanmar is gearing up for its first international literary festival. The "Irrawaddy Literary Festival", to be held in Yangon from Feb 1 to 3, brings together a stellar cast of high-profile international authors and their local counterparts. The venue is the beautiful lakeside grounds of the Inya Lake Hotel in the centre of historic Yangon.
The festival's patron is Myanmar politician Aung San Suu Kyi, author of Letters From Burma and Freedom From Fear. "I am delighted to lend my support and personal participation to this first Irrawaddy Literary Festival. Literature has always been a big part of my life, and I hope this festival will encourage more people to explore the world of literature and further their understanding of the English language," said Aung San Suu Kyi, who is participating in the festival.
Among the international authors attending are Jung Chang, Vikram Seth, William Dalrymple, Fergal Keane, Rory Stewart, Sudha Shah, Frank Dikotter and Timothy Garton Ash. They will be joined by more than 80 authors from Myanmar, including Thant Myint-U (The River Of Lost Footsteps), Pascal Khoo Thwe (From The Land Of Green Ghosts) and well-known figures such as Zarganar, Ju and Dr Ma Thida.
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