George Town Lit Festival 2021 opens up the 'Mikro-cosmos' for book lovers

George Town Literary Festival’s theme for 2021, 'Mikro-cosmos', explores the spirit of cosmopolitanism and interconnectedness that endures through literature, language and ideas. Photo: Handout

Japanese novelist Minae Mizumura, acclaimed for her audacious experimentation and skillful storytelling, and Eka Kurniawan, Indonesian literary star who was longlisted for the 2016 Man Booker Prize for his novel Lelaki Harimau (Man Tiger), are two headlining names at this year's online edition of the George Town Literary Festival, which will take place on Nov 25-28.

Other international highlights at this free literary festival include German poet Jan Wagner, Canadian writer Souvankham Thammavongsa, New Zealand novelist Tina Makereti, Indian writer Meena Kandasamy, and Kenyan-US writer Mukoma Wa Ngugi. Notable Malaysian names include writer and social activist Marina Mahathir, Sabahan writer Ruhaini Matdarin, Malaysian-Tamil writer M. Navin, and actor Wan Hanafi Su.