We Are Who We Are... Are We Who We Are?

Date: 27-29 November 2015

Venue: Various locations throughout Penang

Cost: Mostly free

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George Town Literary Festival is the only literary festival which is funded by the state government in Malaysia. Celebrating the literary world of poetry, prose and spoken words, the annual state-sponsored festival will host various writers, novelists, spoken word artists and more from diverse writing disciplines.

2015 edition of GTLF will continue its celebration of world literature in poetry, prose and spoken word. The theme this year, We Are Who We Are/Are We Who We Are? will not only address obvious issues of identity, but to delve into topics that force us to look at the human condition in ways that are not always pleasant, looking at how we treat each other, the deterioration of values, the imposition of judgements, prejudices – not just as human beings, but as writers and commentators of society. It will be a critical look at where we are – at what we have become, and where we think we’re going. This is an urgent theme, one that has become pervasive, universal, which begs a discerned discourse.

This year’s keynote address will be delivered by writer and social activist Marina Mahathir, with headlining Malaysian writers Shirley Lim Geok-Lin, Chuah Guat Eng, SEA Write Award winner Lim Swee Tin and cartoonist Zunar.

The list of stellar international writers include Anja Utler (Germany), Franca Treur (Netherlands), Wajahat Ali (USA/Pakistan), Judy Fong Bates (Canada), Anne Provoost (Belgium), Danton Remoto (Philippines), Omar Musa (Malaysia/Australia), Robin Hemley (USA), Xu Xi (Hong Kong), Joshua Ip (Singapore) and more.

We are also privileged to have some of the region’s most respected writers of history and the performing arts speaking at the festival, namely Tan Sooi Beng, Khoo Salma, and Paul Augustin from Malaysia, Khairudin Aljunied (Malaysia/Singapore), Robin Riuzendaal (Netherlands/Taiwan) and Anthony Milner (Australia).

Our moderators include Malaysian authors, academics and critics Umapagan Ampikaipakan, Sharaad Kuttan, Yin Shao Loong, Sharon Bakar, Jasmine Low, Ksatriya, Shivani Sivagurunathan, Malachi Edwin Vethamani, Gareth Richards, Latif Kamaluddin and Fuad Rahmat.

Source: www.georgetownlitfest.com

George Town Literary Festival is the only literary festival which is funded by the state government in Malaysia. Celebrating the literary world of poetry, prose and spoken words, the annual state-sponsored festival will host various writers, novelists, spoken word artists and more from diverse writing disciplines.

2015 edition of GTLF will continue its celebration of world literature in poetry, prose and spoken word. The theme this year, We Are Who We Are/Are We Who We Are?  will not only address obvious issues of identity, but to delve into topics that force us to look at the human condition in ways that are not always pleasant, looking at how we treat each other, the deterioration of values, the imposition of judgements, prejudices – not just as human beings, but as writers and commentators of society. It will be a critical look at where we are – at what we have become, and where we think we’re going. This is an urgent theme, one that has become pervasive, universal, which begs a discerned discourse.

This year’s keynote address will be delivered by writer and social activist Marina Mahathir, with headlining Malaysian writers Shirley Lim Geok-Lin, Chuah Guat Eng, SEA Write Award winner Lim Swee Tin and cartoonist Zunar.

The list of stellar international writers include Anja Utler (Germany), Franca Treur (Netherlands), Wajahat Ali (USA/Pakistan), Judy Fong Bates (Canada), Anne Provoost (Belgium), Danton Remoto (Philippines), Omar Musa (Malaysia/Australia), Robin Hemley (USA), Xu Xi (Hong Kong), Joshua Ip (Singapore) and more.

We are also privileged to have some of the region’s most respected writers of history and the performing arts speaking at the festival, namely Tan Sooi Beng, Khoo Salma, and Paul Augustin from Malaysia, Khairudin Aljunied (Malaysia/Singapore), Robin Riuzendaal (Netherlands/Taiwan) and Anthony Milner (Australia).

Our moderators include Malaysian authors, academics and critics Umapagan Ampikaipakan, Sharaad Kuttan, Yin Shao Loong, Sharon Bakar, Jasmine Low, Ksatriya, Shivani Sivagurunathan, Malachi Edwin Vethamani, Gareth Richards, Latif Kamaluddin and Fuad Rahmat.

- See more at: http://www.georgetownlitfest.com/?page_id=248#sthash.C9geHVWH.dpuf