Ceylon Literary And Arts Festival Hosts Its Inaugural London Edition On 4 November 2026
Presented by Sri Lanka Tourism, the programme was designed to introduce travel professionals and international audiences to the island through literature, ideas and conversation.
The announced speakers included Booker-shortlisted novelist Romesh Gunesekera, economist and author Razeen Sally, novelist Ashok Ferrey, Shrabani Basu and Louise Doughty.
Gunesekera's novel Reef was shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 1994. Basu wrote Victoria & Abdul, which was adapted into a film starring Judi Dench, while Sally is the author of Return to Sri Lanka.
The programme listed three conversations following a welcome address by festival founder Ajai Vir Singh.
In Sri Lanka through the Eyes of Others, Gunesekera and Sally were scheduled to speak with Ferrey as moderator.
One Tear of Love paired Doughty and Ferrey, while Tales from the Empire featured Basu in conversation with Ferrey.
Singh said the London edition was intended to extend the festival's reach beyond Sri Lanka and use arts and culture to engage international audiences.
Co-founder and director Fazeena Rajabdeen said the initiative sought to introduce Sri Lankan voices to a wider audience after building the festival locally.
The London programme also promoted the festival's fourth edition, scheduled for Colombo from 22 to 24 January 2027.
That edition is planned around literature, art, music and film, bringing together Sri Lankan and international participants while creating opportunities for young and emerging local creatives.
The organisers said the full line-up, venues and ticketing information would be announced subsequently.
World Travel Market ran from 3 to 5 November at ExCeL London.
Founded by Singh and Rajabdeen, the festival held its first edition in Kandy and Colombo in 2024.
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