Presented by Sri Lanka Tourism, the festival took Sri Lanka’s stories and writers to an international audience for the first time 

The Ceylon Literary and Arts Festival (CLAF) hosted its inaugural London Edition at World Travel Market (WTM) London on Wednesday 4 November 2026. Presented by Sri Lanka Tourism, the event invited international audiences and travel professionals to discover the island through literature, ideas and conversation. 

The London Edition marked a significant step for CLAF, which has quickly become an influential arts and culture platform for Sri Lanka, profiling the island through its creative industries. Guided by clear objectives, the festival creates meaningful opportunities for young people through its four pillars of literature, art, music and film, while enhancing Sri Lanka’s soft power. 

Ajai Vir Singh, Founder, Ceylon Literary and Arts Festival, said: “The London Edition is an important step as we expand our platform’s footprint beyond Sri Lanka, and it also strengthens Sri Lanka’s soft power. Bringing the festival to London alongside Sri Lanka Tourism is a key strategic goal in attracting the right travellers to the country. Arts and culture are an important medium for engaging a wider international audience.” 

The line-up featured Shrabani Basu, author of Victoria & Abdul, which was adapted into a film starring Judi Dench; Booker-shortlisted novelist Romesh Gunasekera; Louise Doughty, whose fiction has been adapted for BBC One and ITV; comic novelist Ashok Ferrey; and economist Razeen Sally, author of Return to Sri Lanka. Together, their work spans history, fiction, humour and economics. 

Following a welcome address by Ajai Vir Singh, the afternoon unfolded across three conversations. In Sri Lanka through the Eyes of Others, Romesh Gunasekera and Razeen Sally were joined by moderator Ashok Ferrey; One Tear of Love brought together Louise Doughty and Ashok Ferrey; and in Tales from the Empire, Shrabani Basu was in conversation with Ashok Ferrey. 

Fazeena Rajabdeen, Co-founder & Director, Ceylon Literary and Arts Festival, said: “Culture is one of the most powerful ways a country can introduce itself. After four years of building a festival with Sri Lankan voices at its heart, we wanted to take those voices to the world, starting with London.” 

The London Edition also introduced the festival’s fourth edition, taking place in Colombo from 22 to 24 January 2027, and encouraged travel professionals to consider literature and the arts as reasons to visit Sri Lanka. 

The Colombo festival will bring together writers, artists, musicians and filmmakers from Sri Lanka and around the world across its four pillars, with young and emerging Sri Lankan creatives at its heart. The full line-up, venues and ticketing details will be announced in the coming weeks.