Update: Highlights of the Second George Town Literary Festival (Penang, Malaysia)

Date: 23 - 25 November 2012

The second George Town Literary Festival this year will hold from 23-25 November in the historic city of George Town, Penang.

This year, with the continued funding of the Penang State Government through Penang Global Tourism, the festival will feature an international lineup of writers from the British Isles of England and Scotland, India and the Netherlands, Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia who will engage with the theme Voyages. Hopes. Dreams.

As George Town has been a crossroads of many cultures for centuries, this year’s writers will continue to inspire audiences - and each other - in ways that will celebrate the diversity of the written word in its many genres and contexts, in the hope of multiculturalism, and a greater understanding and discourse of the human condition through world literatures.

Below are some events you should not miss at the festival:

POETRY WORKSHOP WITH PELLTA AND ARTS ED

• Friday, 23 November (2.00pm - 3.30pm)
• Writers: Ng Yi-Sheng, Omar Musa and Nii Ajikwey Parkes
• Venue: Sekeping Victoria

Three award-winning writers and poets work with Penang schoolchildren to create a series of rap poems in one afternoon. Come and share in the fun!

READING AND PANEL DISCUSSION: WOMEN WRITERS FORUM

• Saturday, 24 November (10.30am – 12.00pm)
• Writers: Dina Zaman, Shivani Sivagurunathan, Linda Christanty, Chiew-Siah Tei and
• Judith Uyterlinde
• Moderator: Sharon Bakar
• Venue: Vic’s, Upstairs at The Canteen, ChinaHouse

Five women. Five writers working in different genres, forms and styles. Listen to how they are inspired to write what they do, and discover the inner workings of what it takes to engage with material that matters to them.

READING AND PANEL DISCUSSION: FIXI AND THE RISE OF NEW MALAY FICTION

• (Session in Bahasa Malaysia)
• Saturday, 24 November (4.00pm – 5.30pm)
• Writers: Fixi Writers
• Moderator: Amir Muhammad
• Venue: Studio@Straits

Fixi has created a platform for new and exciting voices in contemporary Malay fiction. Fixi founder Amir Muhammad along with some of its writers, will discuss how Malay pulp has evolved to embrace the sacred and the profane in ways never seen before, and the anticipation of its foray into English pulp fiction.

SPOKEN WORD/PERFORMANCE POETRY

• :Saturday, 24 November (8.00pm– 9.30pm)
• Poets: Lucille Das, Maria Teutsch, Ko-Ai, Sheena Baharudin, Mark Walker, Murugan Sellapan, Venogopal Sahadevan, Ksatriya Words N Rhymes, Jamal Raslan, Jerome Kugan, Jasmine Low and more.
• Price: RM5
• Hosted by: Jasmine Low and Jerome Kugan
• Venue: Sekeping Victoria

Wayang Kata VIII - Wayang Kata began in Kuala Lumpur in 2006 as a collaboration between Jasmine Low and Jerome Kugan. Seven editions of Wayang Kata, sponsored by The British Council featured noted UK poets Malika Booker, Benjamin Zephaniah, Francesca Beard and Polar Bear. Wayang Kata will host its first ever show in Penang featuring a multi-lingual lineup of poets and spoken word performers in English, Bahasa Malaysia, Hokkien, Tamil, Thai, Burmese and more!

READING AND PANEL DISCUSSION: SHOW ME THE MONEY!

• Saturday, 24 November (2.00pm – 3.30pm)
• Writers: Judith Uyterlinde, Chiew-Siah Tei, Andrew Greig, Nii Ayikwey Parkes and Tan Twan Eng
• Moderator: Kam Raslan
• Venue: Vic’s, Upstairs at The Canteen, ChinaHouse

Do writers write to get rich? What happens when writers become successful beyond their wildest dreams? See how money plays a role in the complex, intricate business of publishing and market-driven profits.

ALTERNATIVE BOOKFAIR

• 23 – 25 November
• Venue: The Reading Room. ChinaHouse

The Alternative Bookfair will feature local publishers and distributors Gerakbudaya, Areca Books, The Penang Bookshelf, Matahari Books and Fixi.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

For queries/ submissions: gtlfestival@gmail.com

Website: http://gtlfestival.blogspot.com