The Story of the Festivals

In 2013 the first Irrawaddy Literary Festival took place from 1-3 February at the Inya Lake Hotel in Yangon with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi as the Festival’s keynote speaker. Other eminent participants included Wild Swans’ author Jung Chang, Vikram Seth (A Suitable Boy), William Dalrymple (Nine Lives: In Search of the Sacred in Modern India), Fergal Keane (Road of Bones), Rory Stewart (The Places in Between), Jonathan Powell (The New Machiavelli: How to Wield Power in the Modern World) and many others. The more than 100 Burmese writers were led by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, Pe Myint and Sithu Thaw Kaung, Thant Myint-U, author of The River of Lost Footsteps, and Pascal Khoo Thwe, author of From the Land of Green Ghosts. Other acclaimed Burmese writers and poets included Lay Ko Tin, Khin Pan Hinn, Nya Linn Phyu and Min Khwite Soe San.

Also in attendance were the highly regarded photographer Thierry Falise, many international and Myanmar journalists and literary agents, keen to attend this unique event. The Festival drew a crowd of approximately 10,000 attendees.

The second Irrawaddy Literary Festival was held in Mandalay in keeping with the specific request of patron Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. Jung Chang, and Fergal Keane returned as keynote speakers, along with newcomers Louis De Bernieres (Captain Corelli’s Mandolin), Polly Devlin (All Of Us There), Dame Joan Bakewell (The Centre of the Bed), BBC broadcaster Martha Kearney and Caroline Moorehead (Martha Gelhorn: A Life). Once again around 100 Myanmar authors took part, led by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, Thant Myint U, U Pe Myint, Shwegu May Hnin and many other well regarded Myanmar writers.

The event was initially due to take place in the Kuthodaw Pagoda, a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in Mandalay, but permission that had previously been granted by the Burmese authorities was retracted a day before the opening of the Festival. The ILF was then relocated to the Mandalay Hill Resort Hotel, where organisers managed to open the event less than one hour behind schedule. All three further Festivals were held at the same venue.

A team of thirty volunteer interpreters, recruited from the U.S. Jefferson Centre, provided simultaneous translation for audiences on headsets. The Jefferson Centre’s lead volunteer, U San Htay, became a Festival stalwart.

The third Irrawaddy Literary Festival took place in Mandalay 28 – 30 March 2015, again at the Mandalay Hills Resort Hotel. The festival followed the same pattern as the previous two events by inviting international award winning authors and journalists to take part alongside a large cohort of Myanmar writers. Notable international names included Louis de Bernières (Captain Corelli’s Mandolin), Anne Enright (The Gathering), Barnaby Phillips (Another Man’s War), Ratna Vira (Daughter by Court Order), Colin Falconer (Silk Road: A haunting story of adventure, romance and courage) and Margaret Simons (Tanya Pliberseck: On Her Own Terms).  Scores of Burmese writers from all parts of the country including U Pe Myint, Khin Maung Nyo, U Nay Oke, Soe Lin, Thantzin, Nay Phone Latt, Nyein Way, Aung Gyi, Thint Naw, and Thin Ma Ma Khaing took part. The Festival format, of mixing – as far as possible – the international and Myanmar writers was by now becoming more familiar to the Myanmar writers for whom the Festival was still a unique event.

The fourth Irrawaddy Literary Festival was held from 3–5 November 2017. It followed the established model of a three-day, free to attend, event with simultaneous interpretation available in all sessions. Over 4000 people attended, the majority from Myanmar. To reflect the pervading situation in the country the programme deliberately included sessions on inter-communal violence and reconciliation with participation by senior representatives of the Buddhist and Muslim faiths. For example the Muslim Cleric, Al Haj U Aye Lwin (a Member of the Advisory Commission on Rakhine State under Kofi Annan) appeared on a panel with Buddhist Abbot, Sayadaw U Nayaka to discuss interfaith reconciliation.

In addition to the programmed sessions there were popular informal speaking opportunities at ‘Speakers’ Corner’ and (new for 2017) ‘Poets’ Corner’ in the grounds of the hotel.

The gathering included Lonely Planet co-founder Tony Wheeler, Jung Chang (Wild Swans) Keggie Carew (Dadland), Victor Mallett (FT journalist and author of ‘River of Life, River of Death; The Ganges and India’s future), Alice Pung (Her Father’s Daughter), Oxford scholar Ann Pasternak Slater (The Fall of the Sparrow; Vivien Elliot’s Life and Writings), Denis Muller (Journalism and the Future of Democracy) and other writers, nearly one hundred of them from Myanmar including popular figures such as Shwegu May Hnin, Ju, Nay Phone Latt, Yin Yin Nu, Ponnya Khin, Nyein Way, Kyaw Saw Min, Yi Yi Mon and many others.

The Fifth Festival took place from 9–11 November 2019 at the Mercure Mandalay Hotel (formerly Mandalay Hills Resort Hotel) in Mandalay. The three day programme of events included the usual mix of panel discussions, individual readings, workshops, poetry, films, exhibitions and book stalls, with simultaneous interpretation once again for all sessions. International participants included Oscar winning Documentary producers, Malcolm Clarke and Han Yi (The Lady in Number Six and China Heavyweight), Karoline Kan (Under the Red Skies), Christopher Gunness, Clive Brill and Guy Slater – the playwright and producers of “Eastern Star” (a play based on Christopher Gunness’ experiences as a BBC journalist working under cover during the 1988 uprising). Richard Lloyd Parry (The Times newspaper’s Asia Editor and author of Ghosts of the Tsunami) and Xu Xi award winning Hong Kong author (That Man in our Lives) also attended.

On the Burmese side, Ju, Ponnya Khin, U Pyo Wai Win, Kyi Soe Tun, Mai Ni Ni Aung, Dr Aung Si Thar and Nay Phone Latt led a large group of Myanmar talent.

With between 100-150 Myanmar and international authors appearing at each Festival, it is impossible to mention all the individuals who participated in the five festivals, but the organisers are extremely grateful to everyone who took part including the wonderful Myanmar volunteers.

The 2019 Festival marked the transition of the Festival from the international board of trustees (of the Irrawaddy Literary Festival Charitable Trust) to local Myanmar organisers, led by Sayar U Nay Oke.