Calling all bookworms and literature enthusiasts! The much-awaited George Town Literary Festival (GTLF) is back; this time, it’s exploring uncharted territories with the intriguing theme ‘Terra Incognita’.
Set to take place from 23 to 26 November, this literary extravaganza, which is a free event, promises an unforgettable experience for both locals and international visitors alike.
Journey into the unknown: ‘Terra Incognita’
The ‘Terra Incognita’ theme, produced by Penang Convention & Exhibition Bureau (PCEB) for the eighth consecutive year, encourages visitors to embrace the uncharted and find comfort in the strange. By opening up fresh viewpoints and directing our attention towards undiscovered horizons, GTLF2023 sets out on a literary investigation of uncharted territory.
The key locations of the festival, such as Loft29 at Gat Lebuh Gereja and Mano Plus at Beach Street, George Town, will act as bustling gathering places for readers. Currently, 35 authors are scheduled to appear at the festival, representing 13 different nations. As the festival date approaches, more information about the schedule will be made available.
A rich tapestry of literary delights
Pauline Fan, an esteemed member of the Malaysian literary community, will serve as the edition’s director, while Adriana Nordin Manan, another, will act in the curatorial capacity. M.Navin, a well-known Malaysian Tamil author, and Dr Florence Kuek of Universiti Malaya, an expert in Chinese literature and literary criticism, will serve as the panels’ curators.
Professor Lim Swee Tin, who was just given the 2023 National Poet Award, Saras Manickam, who won the 2019 Commonwealth Short Story Contest (Asia), and Shih-Li Kow, who won the 2019 Prix du Premier Roman Etranger, will all attend the event as distinguished guests.
Visitors will have the opportunity to interact with their favourite authors such as English novelist, Geoff Dyer, acclaimed Thai authors as well as S.E.A. Write Award winners Veeraporn Nitiprapha and Uthis Haemamool, 2-time Miles Franklin Literary Award winner, Michelle de Kretser, multi-faceted Burmese artist and poet, Maung Day, and Tamil writer and poet Yuvan Chandrasekar. There’s also multidisciplinary Taiwanese artist, author Wu Ming-yi and American Professor of Journalism and International Affairs, Janet Steele.
For the fifth year running, Kinokuniya will serve as the official festival bookstore. From 23 to 26 November 2023, Kinokuniya will have a pop-up shop at Loft29, where they will sell a wide range of books by the acclaimed group of writers and speakers attending GTLF2023.
