KL & HK LIT FESTS

Closer home, two lit fests get underway this month. It never does rain.

The Kuala Lumpur Literary Festival celebrates the 'Nation at 50' and brings together the likes of Tash Aw (Harmony Silk Factory), Camilla Gibb (Sweetness in the Belly), Dina Zaman (I am Muslim) among a host of others from March 28th-30th. It's got the nod from star lit blogger - Sharon Bakar . That alone calls for attendance. Early birds have special discounts, so get set to click online here.

The Hong Kong Literary Festival has made more news for the sacking of their best known literary export - Nury Vittachi. I've appeared with and behind Nury at festivals all the way from Byron to Galle to Ubud and find it impossible that people find him hard to work with. The timing of this ill-timed move couldn't have been more inopportune coz now the minute you mention Hong Kong, the next thing you hear is 'Nury' and his ridiculous sacking.

That's a pity for the festival as they have, as always, got some great names. This year, the stellar lit cast includes Gore Vidal, John R Saul, Jan Morris, Amy Tan, Simon Winchester, Uzodinma Iweala and two of my favourites Kiran Desai and Pankaj Mishra. Also in attendance Baby Halder who is bound to charm with 'A Life Less Ordinary.'

The festival kicks off on the 12th of March and goes on all the way till the 21st. A fairly long drawn affair, if you like your festivals tightly packed. On the flip side, it does allow for various combinations of travel plans.