Record ticket sales for Galle Lit-Fest

The Galle Literary festival due to take place between January 26 and January 30 has sold a record number of tickets this time around where over 3000 participants are expected to join the event.

The festival which is being held for the fifth consecutive year will see the participation of around 65 acclaimed authors from all continents as hotels have been fully booked in Galle, the organizers revealed.

Media freedom group Reporters Without Borders on Thursday accused Nobel-winning author Orhan Pamuk and other writers of legitimizing repression in Sri Lanka by attending the festival and claimed that it was ‘disturbing’ that such a celebration would take place in a country where freedom of expression is being suppressed and independent journalists are being attacked.

Commenting on this Founder of the Galle Literary Festival Geoffrey Dobbs said, ‘It is unfortunate and ridiculous that some writers are appealing for a boycott. Action such as this does not help as we are trying to build bridges through this Festival. It has always been a forum for freedom of expression, there is no censorship at all’, adding ‘most intelligent people will realize that such people are trying to get a platform by using events as successful as this to get reported in the media’.

‘I invite those who make allegations against the Festival from abroad to come and present their views. We would be happy to hear their ideas’, Dobbs said emphasizing, ‘I welcome criticism and they should speak out. This Festival is a platform to speak’.

The Policy Research and Information Unit (PRIU) of the Presidential Secretariat confirmed that tickets sales have now hit a record high for the festival and that participation by locals is also expected to increase greatly.