Irrawaddy Literary Festival
irrawaddy literary festival notforprofit event run entirely volunteer celebrates myanmar international writer planned take place regularly every one two year myanmar inaugural festival described british foreign secretary william hague “achieved freedom speech one afternoon u manage lifetime” inaugural festival held inya lake hotel yangon subsequent festival held mandalay hill resort hotel mandalay festival founded jane heyn wife former british ambassador myanmar supported festival patron nobel peace prize winner aung san suu kyi fifth irrawaddy literary festival took place – november festival marked transition festival international board trustee irrawaddy literary festival chartable trust local myanmar organiser led sayar u nay oke fifth final festival auspex international board trustee described participant asia editor time richard lloydparry uniquely charming sponsorship funding used produce festival salary fee paid anyone involved attendance event totally free festival became uk registered charity irrawaddy literary festival charitable trust registered charity number may press conference held yangon trustee irrawaddy literary festival charitable trust myanmar organiser announced establishment myanmar board would assume responsibility organisation future festival planned founding director jane heyn festival patron aung san suu kyi myanmar board headed chair saya u nay oke vicechair dr aung myint festival present three day discussion panel workshop individual talk author along variety cultural activity film screening photography art exhibition street entertainer local business join threeday event setting food handicraft stall participating international author book imported available festival abundance bookstall alongside work hundred burmese writer irrawaddy literary festival covered global news organisation bbc cnn wall street journal guardian new york time new york review book also rated one world best literary festival sunday time time magazine time south china morning post book lover website novelicious asia house festival sherpa website first irrawaddy literary festival took place st rd february inya lake hotel yangon aung san suu kyi festival’s key note speaker participant included wild swan author jung chang suitable boy author vikram seth historian william dalrymple burmese writer included thant myintu author river lost footstep pascal khoo thwe author land green ghost also attendance bbc journalist fergal keane photojournalist thierry falise festival drew crowd approximately attendee second irrawaddy literary festival aung san suu kyi jung chang fergal keane returned keynote speaker along newcomer louis de bernieres captain corelli mandolin polly devlin u caroline moorehead martha gelhorn life event initially due take place kuthodaw pagoda unesco world heritage site located mandalay permission previously granted retracted day opening festival ilf relocated mandalay hill resort hotel event opened less one hour behind schedule third irrawaddy literary festival took place mandalay — mandalay hill resort hotel — march international award winning author journalist took part including louis de bernières captain corelli mandolin anne enright gathering barnaby phillips another man war ratna vira daughter court order colin falconer margaret simon along score burmese writer part country including pe myint khin maung nyo u nay oke soe lin thantzin nay phone latt nyein way aung gyi thint naw thin khaing team thirty volunteer interpreter provided simultaneous translation audience throughout festival three day packed programme irrawaddy literary festival held – november followed established model threeday free enter event simultaneous interpretation available session people attended majority myanmar programme included session intercommunal violence reconciliation participation senior representative buddhist muslim faith addition programmed session popular informal speaking opportunity speakers’ corner new poets’ corner ground hotel gathering included lonely planet cofounder tony wheeler jung chang wild swan keggie carew dadland writer nearly one hundred myanmar including shwegu may hnin ju nay phone latt yin yin nu ponnya khin yi yi mon may pullman centrepoint hotel yangon international trustee ilf charitable trust myanmar chair vicechair newly formed myanmar board ilf announced official transfer festival organisation myanmar board festival remain free enter paying salary fee anyone fifth festival took place – november mercure mandalay hotel mandalay three day programme event included usual mix panel discussion individual reading workshop poetry film exhibition book stall around eighty myanmar thirty international writer took part simultaneous interpretation session