Its no secret that we (Giselle & Joe, Owners of Wild & the Sage) are also both heavily involved in Galle Literary Festival. We have also attended a fair few Lit Fest's and love how different they all are! Assuming you are armed, ticket in hand, here are a few tips and tricks on how to get the most out of the long weekend…
- PLAN YOUR SCHEDULE in advance! Get your hands on the printed schedule, grab a pen and circle everything in the programme you want to see. Unless you are an energizer bunny, aim for 2-3 sessions a day and one of the social/entertainment events
- ARRIVE EARLY Get there 1 hour before your first talk. Grab a coffee, locate the loo’s and get your bearings.
- APPROACH AUTHORS Believe it or not, authors dont get out much and they dont get the fan-girled like a musician might - this is their moment! Dont be afraid to approach them. Start by saying how much you love their book or their talk and ask them how they are finding Galle! Promise you they will be thrilled.
- DONT MISS ART TRAIL Got an hour or two between sessions? Pop into one of the exhibitions under the Art Trail programme- they are really cool and perfect way to reset the mind between talks
- LEAVE TIME FOR LUNCH! This is a rookie mistake we make at every lit fest… make sure you leave a bit if time to grab a bite from the Lit Market and re-energize before diving back in
- READ THE BOOK If you are going to a lunch or a dinner or intend on talking to an author, make sure you have read their book - you will get so much more out of the conversation if you can quiz them on their writing
- HANG OUT IN CAFES The beauty of GLF is Galle. The festival is a village takeover so your bound to see authors hanging out in cafes, grabbing a bite so explore the tropical town to the max
- DRESS RIGHT Its the hot season here in Galle and most places dont have AC. Wear light and airy clothes, flat, comfy shoes and bring a refillable water bottle - you may be waiting in line to go into venues so hydration is key