As such, potential attendees are advised to visit wow.lk, or the physical box offices in Colombo and Galle to secure tickets for those sessions that they feel can't be missed out on.
Already sold out, on wow.lk, is the literary lunch featuring the noted international author Sebastian Faulks where he talks about taking forward the James Bond legacy.
His workshop on "The Joy of Fiction and Historical Fiction" is similarly sold out.
A special lunch prepared by French Gourmet Chefs Jacques and Laurent Pourcel, as part of their "Food of the Mediterranean" cookery class, as well as a dinner featuring Tom Holland are also fully booked to date.
Additionally, local author Shehan Karunatilaka’s workshop on "How to Tell a Sri Lankan Story", and Channa Daswatte’s tour of the Galle Fort titled "A Walk through Time and Style", have also received the same overwhelming audience response, both sessions already sold out.
However, should you be interested in any sessions that appear sold out via wow.lk, please call 0914997010 or visit 27, Leyn Baan Street, Galle Fort (11th -13th Jan), Sports Hall (adjoining Hall de Galle), Galle Fort (14th – 16th Jan) and Jetwing Lighthouse, Galle (17th Jan) as there may be a very small allotment of tickets still available at physical box office venues.
Meanwhile, please be aware that several events featuring big name international and local authors are likewise very close to selling out such as: LITERARY DINNER: A Night with Meera Syal; PRIVATE AFFAIR! David Lough; DUET: Minoli Salgado and Nayomi Munaweera on Writing Sri Lanka from the Diaspora; IN CONVERSATION: Andrea Maria Schenkel on Murder Farm and Ice Cold; LITERARY DINNER: Out of Africa with Saba Douglas Hamilton; THINKING OUT LOUD: Kenan Malik on The Quest for a Moral Compass; PRIVATE AFFAIR! Shehan Karunatilaka; THINKING OUT LOUD: Alex Stewart on Image/Word: The role of Illustration alongside the written word; TEA AND POETRY/POETRY READING: Gregory Pardlo and Jeet Thayil; IN CONVERSATION: Anuradha Roy on Sleeping on Jupiter; WORKSHOP: Anthony McGowan on How to Write a Gripping Book for Children; and LITERARY DINNER: An Evening with Sonali Deraniyagala and Chef Charles.
You are advised to purchase tickets for your important events soon, as this may be your last chance to do so.
Additionally, for enthusiasts of Sri Lankan architecture there is the tour of Geoffrey Bawa’a Lunuganga, and an Architectural tour of Ruhunu University Campus with David Robson.
Both are currently still available but festival organisers are recommending immediate purchase to avoid disappointment.
Even if all the high profile author events are sold out, or close to selling out, enthusiasts of both literature and the arts are still advised to visit the Festival in Galle from January 13th onwards, since there are a number of unique and diverse events to be experienced.
Many of these can be accessed by spending only Rs. 1,000 on a ticket, a worthwhile expense considering the notable international and local speakers featured such as: THINKING OUT LOUD: Hugh Thomson on Nanda Devi – A Journey to the Last Sanctuary; THINKING OUT LOUD: Fiona Shaw on Shakespeare and Friends, Ibsen and Enemies; IN CONVERSATION: Meera Syal on The House of Hidden Mothers; IN CONVERSATION: Meg Rosoff on Jonathan Unleashed and How I Live Now; IN CONVERSATION: Jeet Thayil on Narcopolis; IN CONVERSATION: Sonali Deraniyagala on Wave; and DUET: Sonali Deraniyagala and Shyam Selvadurai on Memoir vs Autobiographical Fiction.
Further, there are also a number of free-of-charge performances, film screenings and literary lectures, as well as a host of free-to-visit food, drink and goods stalls, art exhibits and installations and music sessions including: the Festival's opening Beating Retreat; Visakesa Chandrasekaram’s The King and the Assassin; Dance Adventures by Sea Legs; Sonam Kalra and the Sufi Gospel Project; the Grassrooted Trust's From the Cloud; and Heike Fiedler's Territory Stories.
There are also a number of free-to-enter literary lectures, many of them showcasing noted Sri Lankan authors as part of the Fairway Celebration of Sri Lanka Series.
This series features talks and panels with Shyam Selvadurai, Edmund Jayasuriya, Ariyawansa Ranaweera, Dr. Sunil Wijesiriwardena, Jayatilaka Kammallaweera, Nandana Weerasinghe, Ramla Wahab-Salman, Elmo Jayawardena and Vivimarie Vander Poorten.
The Festival would also like to thank its many partners for their support this year, foremost being title sponsor Fairway Holdings.
National carrier SriLankan Airlines has also come on board as a Platinum Partner for 2016, while Jetwing Lighthouse also continues its longstanding involvement as Hospitality Partner.
Extensive support has also been received by Gold Partners including Land Rover, Colombo Jewellery Stores, The Elysium Collection, Dialog, MAS Holdings, Sri Lanka Tourism and the US Embassy.
Photo caption : Sebastian Faulks speaking at Kandy mini festival.
