Gibraltar is set to become the epicentre of all things writing related when it holds its inaugural literary festival in October. The hotly anticipated event will bring together more than 80 world-class speakers who will take part in debates and talks on an eclectic range of topics from crime writing to children’s books and cuisine. Organised by the Government of Gibraltar and the Oxford Literary Festival, the event will see a stellar line up of more than 50 international writers, including prize-winning author Joanne Harris, Man Booker Prize winner Ben Okri and Carnegie Medal writer, Kevin Crossley-Holland. A number of wordsmiths from the UK, Gibraltar, the United States, Morocco and Spain will also be taking part in the festival, which aims to show the world how multi-cultural Gibraltar is, thanks to its location between Europe and Africa.
Three of the world’s most celebrated chefs and cookery writers will also be bringing flavours from around the globe to the Rock as Claudia Roden, Ken Hom and Madhur Jaffrey share tales of the importance of the culture of food, whilst Claudia will prepare a feast for the closing night. The event will be centred around the Garrison Library with the Government of Gibraltar set to issue new a collection of stamps to celebrate the festival. Well-known globetrotters joining the event include former BBC foreign correspondent Kate Adie and ex UK Liberal Democrat leader Paddy Ashdown.
Sally Dunsmore, festival director said: “This will be a truly international festival. We have more than 50 writers coming from Morocco, Spain, France, Africa, the US, the UK, and, of course, from Gibraltar. We are putting together a programme of world-class writers and public figures that we hope Gibraltarians will enjoy and that will also put Gibraltar on the literary map.”
The festival runs from 25 -27 October 2013. For more information visit www.literaryfestivals.co.uk/gibraltar.html
By Jackie Cruz - Manifesto ·