Galle Literary Festival (GLF) is one of South Asia's most prestigious literary events, held annually in the historic coastal city of Galle, Sri Lanka. This year's event from February 6-9 promises to be one of the best yet.
GLF in 2025
The festival is set to be more diverse than ever, with more than 100 events featuring local and international writers, poets and speakers. Here's a rundown of what's on:
Literary sessions: Events will include voices from every corner of the poetry and prose world. From philosophy to identity, cricket to crime thrillers, the events programme champions topics to get attendees talking. Lively panel discussions include speakers such as Shyam Selvadurai, Philippe Sands, Sathnam Sanghera and Saba Douglas-Hamilton.
Art Trail: Explore curated art exhibitions that complement the literary themes of the festival. Art Trail by ARTRA will host a series of Art Exhibitions, Art Walks and Meet the Artist sessions alongside the launch of ARTRA Magazine's South Asian Contemporary Art Edition 68 (2025).
The programme will feature revered contemporary artists from Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Bangladesh, including Ali Kazim, Tayeba Begum Lipi and Anoli Perera, whose works are part of seminal collections around the world, including the Tate, Qatar Museums and Guggenheim.
Art Trail will also feature the works of Pushpakumara Koralagedara, a key contemporary artist in Sri Lanka's 90s trend art movement and political cartoonist Gihan de Chickera.
Emerging artists Rajani Serasinghe and Kopalapillai Mathiskumar in their respective mediums of mosaic, sculpture, and mixed media explore rapture and ruin while the photography of Anush Wijesinha, Nishan Perera and the Streets of Colombo Collective craft and critique natural and urban landscapes.
Gourmet Galle: A culinary journey featuring renowned chefs and exquisite dining experiences. From A-list sensations to Sri Lankan chefs creating headlines internationally, the lineup is a testament to diversity and excellence.
Children's Festival: Specially designed events to inspire and entertain young readers. From spellbinding stories to interactive workshops and engaging performances, the Children's Festival is designed to ignite a love of literature and creativity in young minds.
Festival Social: Literary Feasts offer intimate lunches and dinners where you can engage with favourite authors, artists and fellow literature enthusiasts in beautiful settings across Galle. Attendees can enjoy colourful performances and sophisticated cocktail events in atmospheric venues.
Market: An opportunity to attend a marketplace offering books and other literary-themed merchandise.
Giselle Harding, Festival Director. "We're thrilled to see how well the programme has been received and can't wait to welcome everyone back to the Fort."
Tickets for the individual events are available to purchase from here.
Andy Probert is an independent PR writer and journalist who writes about travel experiences, airlines, airports, new tech and business. His work has appeared on the BBC, in The Daily Mail, the Daily Telegraph, The Sun, Daily Mirror, as well as many newspapers/magazines globally.
