Hay Festival coming to Kerala
1st June 2010
LONDON: One of Britain's prominent literary and cultural festivals is moving overseas and will hold its first such event in Kerala in November, organisers said.
The Hay Festival, which is held in Hay-on-Wye, Wales, attracts nearly 1 lakh people every year. It is currently being held in the small town from May 27 to June 6, featuring leading writers, journalists, artists and musicians.
The event in Kerala is a collaboration between the Hay Festival and Teamwork Productions. Together they will put on about 30 events over three full days ranging from conversations to performances.
Up to a dozen international authors, 10 leading Indian writers and 15 authors of local language will lead discussions, readings and debates.
Lyndy Cooke, executive director, Hay Festival said, "We are very excited to celebrate the Hay Festival in India. Kerala became the obvious choice for its high literacy rate and popular tourist destination. The Festival will create a platform to present Indian writing to an international audience."
Sanjoy K Roy, of Teamwork Productions said, "The Hay-on-Wye festival is an absolute delight for any book lover and we look forward to its first India edition. Besides the razzmatazz of literature, the festival will also generate and explore new ideas on arts, poetry and storytelling."
Since its launch in the mid 1980s the Hay Festival of Literature has expanded internationally and become a recognised global brand. It is a not-for-profit institution.
It runs events in Sergovia, Spain, Cartagena de Indias and Bogota in Colombia and last year launched events in Kenya and Beirut.
