The festival of words and imagination begins today at Bangla Academy, bringing renowned writers and thinkers from different parts of the world closer to their readers and connoisseurs.
Hay Festival Dhaka 2013 will open with renditions of spiritual songs at 9:00am on the Bangla Academy lawn. Then the inaugural ceremony will feature a conversation between Bangladeshi bilingual author and litterateur Syed Manzoorul Islam, British Pakistani writer, journalist and filmmaker Tariq Ali and Egyptian writer and columnist Ahdaf Soueif, at the main stage of the academy.
The celebration is taking place for the third time in Bangladesh.
This year more than 75 sessions will be held during the three-day festival. Some 50 foreign guests and 200 Bangladeshi writers and litterateurs will participate in those sessions organised at four venues — the main stage, small stage, imagination tent and the lawn.
The festival will remain open every day from 9:00am to 8:00pm and hold both Bangla and English sessions, along with special programmes for children and workshops for aspiring writers.
Panels such as Egypt and Beyond by Ahdaf Soueif, Endless Revolution by Tariq Ali, Conversation between Bangladeshi writers Shamsul Haque and Hasan Azizul Haque, From Words to Screen featuring Indian actor Rahul Bose are some of the highlights of the event.
This year no registration is required for entering the festival venues to enjoy the sessions, including book launch programmes and cultural events.
There will be bookstalls, including that of Daily Star Books, which will keep new and old titles for readers.
As winter treat, a range of snacks and ice creams will be available for purchase at the programme venue.
The Daily Star is the title sponsor of the international festival hosted by Bangla Academy in collaboration with British Council and Commonwealth Foundation as global partners and Jatrik as project partner.
KK Tea is sponsoring the event along with many other organisations and institutions as partners.
-With The Daily Star input
