(From left) Moderator Amalina Kamal conducting the panel session titled ‘The Lure of Myth and Folklore’ with speakers Tan Jit Seng, Ninot Aziz, Saqina Latif and Kathrina Mohd Daud at the UAB Building, George Town. — Photos courtesy of George Town Literary Festival
THE George Town Literary Festival (GTLF) in Penang returned to a physical format with the theme, “Taming the Wild”.
Numerous book launches, panel discussions, readings, workshops, exhibitions and film screenings were held across various venues over four days.
“This year’s writers, poets, translators, scholars and cultural figures were our most illustrious line-up yet,” festival director Pauline Fan said of the 80 luminaries from 21 countries.
Besides Malaysia, participants came from Algeria, Australia, Brunei, Eswatini, France, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Myanmar, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Ukraine, Vietnam, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Fan said this year’s theme explored the complex relationship between wilderness and human nature, such as ways in which the former shapes our creativity and imagination.
It also examined humanity’s less admirable aspects, like the propensity for violence, brute power, war and the destruction of the natural world.
With the exception of writing workshops, all events were free for the public.
Visitors shopping for titles by GTLF 2022’s writers and speakers at the event’s pop-up bookstore.
Activities included lectures by Indian novelist and International Booker Prize winner Geetanjali Shree on the intersections of writing, freedom and language, and Indonesian poet Nirwan Dewanto on chaos and words.
Malaysian writer Eddin Khoo spoke on James Joyce’s Ulysses and its connection to South-East Asia to mark the 100th anniversary of its publication.
Panel sessions titled “The Lure of Myth and Folklore” delved into the Nusantara’s rich repository, while “The Open Veins of Fiction Writing” explored the key components to a good story.
“The Transpacific: An Asian Canadian Literary Journey” exhibition, presented in collaboration with the Canadian High Commission in Kuala Lumpur, included an interactive showcase with written and audio-visual contributions from partners in Borneo and the UK, highlighting stories hidden in plain sight.
There was also the launch of the 2022 edition of Muara, an anthology of poetry, essays, translations and artworks published by GLTF.
The anthology debuted last year and is now a festival hallmark.
On the festival, Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said, “While Penang will always be rooted in its historical links and gastronomic offerings, I also wish that it becomes a cosmopolitan powerhouse that stimulates public discourse in matters that affect us in one way or another.”
State tourism and creative economy committee chairman Yeoh Soon Hin shared those sentiments, highlighting that it is the only literary festival in Malaysia to be supported by a state government.
“We’re committed to making Penang a cultural hub where people can learn about or celebrate tradition and history, through world-class events that promote public dialogue in the spirit of freedom of expression,” Yeoh added.
GLTF 2022 was the festival’s 12th edition. The previous two were held online due to the pandemic.
Since its inception in 2011 with only five writers, it has grown to become Malaysia’s largest literary festival and regarded as one of the best worldwide.
This year was the seventh time it was produced by the Penang Convention and Exhibition Bureau (PCEB).
Japanese bookstore Kinokuniya ran a pop-up store during the event, carrying titles by the writers and speakers.
