A woman looks at books during the Galle literary festival in Galle, 72 miles south of Colombo. The Galle literary festival is being held for the fourth consecutive year and has attracted local and international literates. –Reuters Photo

Gradually, the Galle Literary Festival is becoming known as a major event for book lovers. Writers gladly accept an invitation to speak about their work in this historical fort city. And Sri Lankans and foreigners flock to Galle for the four-day festival. Established by Geoffrey Dobbs in 2006 as a means to give this tsunami-hit country a boost in terms of tourist appeal, the event is now a regular fixture on the literary calendar.

This year, Pakistan’s Mohammed Hanif was one of the major draws. While I had read his remarkable first novel, A Case of Exploding Mangoes, when it first appeared to international acclaim a couple of years ago, I had never met the author. In various sessions at the Lit Fest, he came across as witty and incisive, poking gentle fun at the Sri Lankan elections, as well as the Indian propensity to play the big brother in the region.

Another Pakistani at the event was Imran Mir, the well-known Karachi-based artist who had come to Sri Lanka for an exhibition of his work in Colombo. He and his wife Nighat are frequent visitors to the country, and are fortunate enough to have had their stunning home designed by Anjalendran, one of Sri Lanka’s (and South Asia’s) most innovative architects. Anjalendran was interviewed by David Robson, the author of a series of books about Sri Lankan architecture and architects, and spoke about his design philosophy. Having visited Karachi often to speak at the Indus Valley School, he was well qualified to dismiss much of the modern designs in Pakistan as ‘magazine architecture’.

For me, one of the stars of the event was Ian Ranklin, author of the famous John Rebus detective stories. Set in Edinburgh, the books examine the Scottish city’s dark underside. As the author said in his polished talk, he spends as much time writing now as he does in promoting his books around the world. The current book in the series, Exit Music, is an account of the popular detective’s last case before he retires. I look forward to reading it soon.

Another writer who packed the lecture hall was Antony Beevor, the famous historian who has written a number of best-selling accounts of the Second World War, including Stalingrad, Berlin, and D-Day: The Downfall. He spoke about the need for historical accuracy, and how journalists, especially on TV chat shows, play fast and loose with past events to suit their own argument. He made the case that when people did not believe their governments, rumour replaced reality, and conspiracy theories thrived.

Michael Frayn first made his name as a playwright with Noises Off, and has gone on from strength to strength, recently writing Copenhagen and Democracy. He has also written a number of novels, including Headlong, the fascinating novel based on the work of Breughel, the famous Dutch artist. He spoke in Galle about Copenhagen, a play about the 1941 meeting between Niels Bohr, the Danish physicist, and Heisenberg, the German pioneer of quantum mechanics. Although the meeting did take place, the discussions he dramatises are based on Frayn’s own interpolation of what transpired. Seemingly, this is a dry, scarcely-relevant bit of history, and hardly the subject of great drama. Nevertheless, the London production was riveting, and the play is now being performed in New York to packed houses.

For me, perhaps the most gripping event was not a talk, but a one-woman play in the courtyard of the Sun House, a local hotel. Based on her own mental condition, Sophie Pelham mesmerised the audience with a frank, horrifying monologue about how those suffering from Bi-polar disorder cope with life. Or, more accurately, don’t cope. Her performance won rave reviews at last year’s Edinburgh Festival, and it was easy to see why. This mental condition is often misdiagnosed, and causes acute disorientation and social maladjustment.

Apart from the literary sessions, the festival also showcases a number of cultural events. There was a concert by the Chamber Music Society of Colombo at the Dutch Reformed Church. This splendid 17th century building was recently restored with Dutch assistance, and is a reminder of Holland’s colonial presence in the island. Before them came the Portuguese until they were defeated in 1640. The Dutch ceded the colony to the British in 1696. Much of Galle Fort is as the Dutch left it, and the town is now a Unesco World heritage Site.

Long before the Europeans, Arabs had established trading posts along the coast, and their dhows moved goods between the Gulf and the Far East. Today, Muslims continue to live in the coastal areas, and play a major role in the island’s economy. They are typically engaged in the gemstone industry around Galle.

Other cultural events included a wonderful evening featuring Sri Lankan drummers dressed in traditional costumes. The range and complexity of the performance was a revelation to me. The following evening, we were treated to a spectacular performance by a dance ensemble who gave us an exhilarating exhibition of classical dancing.

I have always been intrigued by how few Pakistanis visit the Festival. Even Pakistanis who read, and can easily afford the trip, prefer to travel West, rather than explore the delights of a neighbouring country only three hours away by air. But I hear that we are going to have a literary festival in Karachi in March. I hope it is the first of many.

In the background of the Galle Festival hovered the recently concluded presidential election. While most observers (including this one) had forecast a very close fight, in the event Mahinda Rajapakse won by a huge margin. With around six million votes to four million for his rival Sarath Fonseka, the President secured a margin of victory that has left even his staunchest supporters unable to explain the numbers. The opposition has complained of electoral fraud, but without any evidence, their claims are being dismissed as sour grapes. Many people here are muttering darkly about ‘computerised fraud’, but so far, there is no smoking gun.

The very fact that a highly successful international event was held days after the acrimonious election is an indication of the country’s appeal. In a recent article in the New York Times, the island was named as the number one destination for tourism in 2010. This year, hotels are packed with tourists as the memories of a bitter civil war fade.