The Galle Literary Festival 2025: A Weekend of Stories, Conversations, and Culture.

By: Rishini Weeraratne

The Galle Literary Festival 2025 promises an unforgettable weekend filled with literary brilliance, stimulating discussions, and immersive cultural experiences. As the festival enters its final two days, attendees can anticipate a diverse line-up featuring renowned authors, thought-provoking panels, hands-on workshops, and unique performances that celebrate literature, art, and storytelling.

Saturday Highlights: A Day of Literary Exploration

Saturday at the festival begins on a refreshing note with Morning Yoga at the Garden Stage (7:00 AM – 8:00 AM), a tranquil session at the Sri Yoga Shala designed to set a mindful tone for the day. Photography enthusiasts can embark on the Galle Fort Photo Walk (8:00 AM – 10:00 AM), an opportunity to explore the historic streets through the lens of experienced photographers. One of the morning’s key discussions is the panel on ‘Climate Crossroads: The Imperative to Act’ (9:00 AM – 10:00 AM, Hall De Galle), featuring Peter Frankopan, Sunela Jayewardene, and Philippe Sands, moderated by Amita Arudpragasam. At the same time, the Maritime venue hosts, ‘LOVE: In Literature as in Life’ (9:00 AM – 10:00 AM), where Saraid de Silva and Aube Rey Lescure discuss romantic narratives with Kiran Dass. Meanwhile, at the When in Galle venue, travel writers Simon Parker and Razeen Sally, moderated by Simon Lister, delve into the unique perspectives of insiders and outsiders in travel writing.

Aspiring writers can take part in a Crime-Thriller Writing Workshop (10:15 AM – 12:15 PM, No. 10 Leyn Baan Street) with Greg Mosse, while book lovers can attend ‘Fusing Fact with Fiction in the Historical Novel’ (10:15 AM – 11:15 AM, Hall De Galle) with V.V. Ganeshananthan and Aanchal Malhotra. Another intriguing session is ‘AI in Writing: Friend, Foe, or Tool?’ (10:15 AM – 11:15 AM, When in Galle), where Adam Rutherford and Yudhanjaya Wijeratne, moderated by Mangala Karunaratne, discuss the role of artificial intelligence in creative writing.

At midday, attendees can join ‘Gauguin and Polynesia’ (11:30 AM – 12:30 PM, Hall De Galle), an insightful conversation with Nicholas Thomas and Ghazaleh Zogheib. Food lovers can participate in a Muslim Cookery Demonstration (11:30 AM – 1:00 PM, 79 Lighthouse Street), hosted by the Crescent Ladies Association. Additionally, the Fort Bazaar hosts a Literary Lunch (12:30 PM – 2:00 PM) with journalist and author Louise Minchin.

The afternoon features, ‘A Photographic Guide to the Wildlife of Sri Lanka’ (2:00PM – 3:00 PM, When in Galle) with Gehan de Silva Wijeyeratne and ‘The Last Colony’ (2:00 PM – 3:00 PM, Maritime), where Philippe Sands converses with Ram Manikkalingam. Photography enthusiasts can participate in a two-part workshop, ‘Beyond the Frame: People and Cultural Photography’ (2:30 PM – 6:30 PM, When in Galle - Room), led by Catherine Karnow. Meanwhile, ‘Cuisine as Community: Tales from the Diaspora Kitchen’ (3:15 PM – 4:15 PM, When in Galle) will bring together celebrated chefs Ravinder Bhogal, Dom Fernando, and Andi Oliver.

Saturday evening offers a mix of intellectual and entertainment experiences. Adam Rutherford discusses, ‘The Dark History and Troubling Present of Eugenics’ (4:30 PM – 5:30 PM, Maritime), while Peter Godwin shares personal stories in, ‘A Story of Love, Loss, and Occasional Wars’ (4:30 PM – 5:30 PM, When in Galle).

Attendees can enjoy a Mixology Masterclass with Mr. Lyan (4:45 PM – 5:45 PM, Galle Fort Hotel) before heading to the Gourmet Galle Dinner with Cocktails (6:15 PM – 8:45 PM, Galle Fort Hotel). The night concludes with ‘Comedy Night’ (7:00 PM – 9:00 PM, Hall De Galle), featuring Sashi Perera and Taniya Lewwanduwage, followed by The After Party at Closenberg (9:00 PM – Onwards).

Sunday: The Grand Finale

The final day begins with another Morning Yoga session (7:00 AM – 8:00 AM, Garden Stage), followed by the last Galle Fort Photo Walk (8:00 AM – 10:00 AM). Literary discussions commence with ‘The Making of a Memoir’ (9:00 AM – 10:00 AM, Hall De Galle), featuring Sathnam Sanghera and Nihal Arthanayake. History lovers can attend ‘Legends, Myths & Folklore’ (10:15 AM – 11:15 AM, Maritime), where Sunela Jayewardene and Devdutt Pattanaik explore cultural narratives. Meanwhile, ‘Brave New World: Literature in the Age of AI’ (10:15 AM – 11:15 AM, When in Galle) examines the intersection of literature and technology with Adam Rutherford and Yudhanjaya Wijeratne.

As the festival nears its conclusion, attendees can engage in ‘The Art of Translation’ (11:30 AM – 12:30 PM, Maritime) with Romesh Gunesekera and Jenny Erpenbeck or enjoy the Final Literary Lunch (12:30 – 2:00 PM, Fort Bazaar) with Sathnam Sanghera. The final discussions include ‘The Future of the Novel’ (2:00 – 3:00 PM, Hall De Galle) with Michael Hofmann and V.V. Ganeshananthan, culminating in the Closing Ceremony (4:00 – 5:00 PM, Garden Stage) celebrating the festival’s highlights.

Festival Insider Program: A New Initiative

This year, the Galle Literary Festival is launching the Festival Insider Program, an initiative that invites supporters to become part of an exclusive literary community. Membership, priced at LKR 75,000 annually, plays a crucial role in sustaining the festival and ensuring its continued success. Insiders enjoy benefits such as a 25% discount on the 2026 Festival Pass, an invitation to the 2026 Opening Night Gala, priority booking for all festival events, opportunities to meet authors and artists, and special recognition on the festival’s website and program book. To celebrate this launch, the first 100 subscribers will be entered into a draw with a one-in-four chance of winning a FREE pass for GLF 2026. The festival encourages enthusiasts to join and contribute to making the Galle Literary Festival bigger, bolder, and better every year.

A Celebration of Literature and Culture

With a line-up spanning multiple genres and disciplines, the Galle Literary Festival 2025 offers a unique experience for book lovers, writers, and cultural enthusiasts. Whether attending lively discussions, participating in immersive workshops, or simply enjoying the historic ambiance of Galle Fort, festivalgoers are in for an enriching and memorable literary celebration.