The Asian Literary Festival Gampaha will open its doors at the Wet Water Resort
The Asian Literary Festival Gampaha will open its doors on March 6 at the Wet Water Resort, bringing together distinguished writers, translators, filmmakers, critics, and cultural thinkers from across South Asia and beyond for two vibrant days of literary celebration.
Day One, running from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM, will feature the official inauguration and opening ceremony, alongside the presentation of the Asian Prize for Fiction 2023 and a networking session for participants and guests. From 4:00 PM to 4:45 PM, the spotlight will turn to the launch and signing of the translation “Heart Lamp” (Hada Pahana) with Bhanu Mushtaq, D. M. S. Ariyaratne, and Pathum Punchi Hewa. The evening session, from 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM, titled “A Look into the Past: The Literary Heritage of Siyane Korala,” will bring together Sujeewa Sirimevan, Vipula Hewa Walimuni, Rasika Solanga Arachchi, and Wasantha Pradeep Hettiarachchi to explore regional literary history and identity.
Day Two, March 7, opens with the ALF Film Festival segment from 10:00 AM to 12:30 PM, screening a diverse slate of films including “Panthu (Ball),” “Thattha (33),” “‘Pai’ (Bag)” by Raj Sivaraj, “Theateriku Kuditu Poradu Eppadi? (How to Go to the Cinema with a Girl),” “Tears of Ceylon,” and “The Unwritten Verses” by Raj Sivaraj, Viranga Pathirage, and Fatima Shahnaz. Afternoon screenings from 12:45 PM to 2:45 PM feature “Vanni Mayil (Prabhakaran’s Peacock)” and “Amma (Mother)” by Vishnu Vasu, followed by “Chatrak (2)” by Vimukthi Jayasundara from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM. Parallel afternoon literary sessions begin at 1:00 PM with “We and Our Stories: Sinhala, Tamil, and Muslim Folklore,” featuring Hashitha Abeywardena, Prageethika Jayasekara, Mano Fernando, and Horagala Wimalatissa Thero. Discussions continue with “The Places and People” (Sabin Iqbal, Arefa Teshin, Ajay Kamalakaran, Ciara Mandulee Mendis), “The Voices of South Asia” (Kanishka Guptha, Ari Gautier, Ramya Jeerasinghe, Ciara Mandulee Mendis), and “Unbound: Literary Voices Beyond the Commonwealth Framework” with Ari Gautier, Tomasz Różycki, Kanishka Guptha, and Weronika Czyżewska. Additional sessions include “South Asia’s Creative Economy” (Ragulan Tharmakulasingam, Sam Perera, Ashok Ferry, Kanishka Guptha, MK Ajay), “Literary Criticism and Discussion” (Surekha Samarasena, Vidarshana Kannangara, Sachith Wijesuriya), “Depicted in Sri Lankan Literature” (Kalpana Abrose, K. K. Saman Kumara, Anu Sivalingam, Lakshika Ratnayake), and “Growing Tales for Tomorrow” (Arefa Teshin, Tamarasie Mahawatta, Nadeera Nilupamali, Bernadine Jayasinghe, Sabin Iqbal).
The program further explores genre and cultural discourse through “Lost in a Fantasy City” (Kosali Sirichandra, Mohan Raj Madawala, Amali Anupama Mallawa Arachchi, Pathum Punchihewa), “Understanding the Evolution of Sri Lankan Music and Its Socio-Politics” (Ajith Kumarasiri, Manoj Jinadasa, Nadeeka Guruge), “A Comparison Between Pre-War, Wartime and Post-War Literature” featuring Moon and White Lion starring Ariyadasa Bhushan Pradeep, and concludes with “Mind, Body and Writing” (Madhawa Hathurusinghe, Ashok Ferry, MK Ajay). Across its rich and multidisciplinary program, the festival reaffirms its commitment to fostering dialogue, translation, cinematic storytelling, and the dynamic literary voices shaping Asia today.
