THE George Town Literary Festival (GTLF) this year ended on a good note, with all its writers, panellists and artists looking forward to the next instalment.

Malaysian writers like Felicia Yap said the GTLF this year had created a “buzzy atmosphere” that promoted interaction between writers and readers.

“I think this festival is unmatched in terms of its vibrant atmosphere, where writers and readers can exchange their thoughts and connect with each other,” Yap told The Malaysian Insight.

Yap, who grew up in Kuala Lumpur, said the festival saw many participants buying books, which was something rare at literary festivals these days.

“Although it was my first time speaking at GTLF, I’d been to many literary festivals in other places, and people just don’t browse the books there.

“Here, I see endless people going by, picking up books and taking them home.”

Yap said this year’s theme, “Monsters and (Im)mortals”, was well thought out as it was “definitely a conversation starter” not only among literary fans, but most people.

“Generally, it piques people’s curiosity. People would ask, ‘What? Monsters?’, and find out more about GTLF. It makes people talk to each other.

“So, I think it is fun and captivating… with a sense of mischief in the theme.”

Yap said Bernice Chauly, the festival director, and her team had utilised the theme very well in the literary and visual contexts.

“I saw a lot of monster artworks, with scary-looking creatures on canvases, which is cool. That’s the visual component of the festival.

“Some of the panellists were talking about scary themes in fiction, like the ‘Medusa, Yakshini, Banshee, Pontianak: The Deadly Seductress as Symbols’ panel. That’s the literary component.”

Yap has been selected as The Observer’s Rising Star for Fiction (2017), and was at GTLF to speak on the “Braver Worlds: Visions of the Future/Past” panel, which explored the role of the writer in capturing the “in-between” of what is real, plausible and fantastical.

Another local writer, Malachi Edwin Vethamani, who launched his anthology, Coitus Interruptus and Other Stories, said the festival had an international reach and brought authors together.

“The whole idea, that you get to connect with people, the writers and panellists after the session, is just splendid.

“It gives you the opportunity to understand their work and connect with everyone.”

He said this was why he chose GTLF for his book launch.

“This is the third time I’m launching my book here. The first time was in 2015, when I launched A Bibliography of Malaysian Literature in English. Last year, I launched Malchin Testament, and it was very engaging.”

He said the festival had the potential to become even greater, along with the growth of Malaysian writing.

Malachi is a poet, short story writer, critic and scholar of contemporary literature whose stories have been published in Lakeview Journal (2017) and the Literary Page of the News Straits Times (1995 and 1996).

He is a professor at the School of English, University of Nottingham, Malaysia campus.

Gwen Robinson, chief editor of the Nikkei Asian Review, described GTLF as a festival that was bursting with creativity.

“I think it is a creative festival, and there seems to be more and more Asian literary festivals coming up – Brisbane Writers Festival, Melbourne Writers Festival, Dhaka Literary Festival, Ubud Writers and Readers Festival.

“What’s different about GTLF is that it is putting a real spotlight on regional Southeast Asian writers. And, it is not just the writers, but also comic artists, like Sonny Liew, among others.”

Robinson, who flew in from Bangkok for the festival, said many side events, like the George Town Night Walk, were also very successful, and that she expected next year to feature even more interesting events.

“Maybe next year, GTLF can have a panel of up-and-coming Asian writers to provide balance.

“Sometimes, you just want to hear from an interesting writer, hear about their work and why they are doing what they are doing.”

Robinson said this year’s festival was managed well, and expressed hoped that it would maintain its good standing for years to come.

“I just went to the Hong Kong literary festival, which was excellent, but you had to sign up and book every session you want to attend and pay, and that’s the same with the Ubud festival.

“I hope GTLF continues and Penang can build on its reputation of being something that is unique and different. Also, the city is small and cosy. Penang is very approachable,” said Robinson, who is also a senior fellow at the Institute of Security and International Studies, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand, specialising in Myanmar and the Southeast Asian region.

GTLF, which ran from Thursday to Sunday, is in its seventh year. It featured events such as workshops, book launches and readings at various locations throughout Penang’s heritage city.

Chauly was assisted by co-curators Gareth Richards, a writer and editor who set up the independent bookstore Gerakbudaya in Penang, and Pauline Fan, a writer, literary translator and creative director of Pusaka.

Headlining the festival was Muhammad Haji Salleh, Malaysia’s 1991 national laureate, who delivered the keynote speech.

This year, GTLF was accompanied by a fringe festival and a free public screening of You Mean the World to Me, which was set in 1970s Penang and the first Malaysian movie to be filmed entirely in Penang Hokkien.

GTLF is funded by the Penang government and produced by the Penang Convention and Exhibition Bureau, with the support of Penang Global Tourism and Penang Institute.

Supporting partners include Gerakbudaya Bookshop Penang, British Council, Culture Ireland, Dutch embassy, Belgian embassy, Hong Kong Baptist University, Goethe-Institut, Icelandic Literature Centre, Indian Council for Cultural Relations, Japan Foundation Kuala Lumpur, LaSalle College of the Arts, Makassar International Writers Festival, S.A. Writers Centre, Singapore Literature Prize and University of Nottingham, Malaysia campus. – November 28, 2017.

*The Malaysian Insight is the official media partner of GTLF.