Malaysia’s leading celebration of stories returns for its 15th edition! This year’s George Town Literary Festival explores Urban Myths and Memories through panels, readings, performances, and workshops featuring 37 writers and artists from 13 countries.

George Town Literary Festival 2025 

Malaysia’s leading celebration of stories returns for its 15th edition! This year’s George Town Literary Festival explores Urban Myths and Memories through panels, readings, performances, and workshops featuring 37 writers and artists from 13 countries.

Join us in Penang’s heritage heart for three days of conversation, creativity, and discovery. Admission is free with a Festival Pass, except for workshops and select events.

Explore the full programme breakdown on the official George Town Literary Festival website.

Programme at a glance:

29 November

11:30 am - 12:30 pm

Panel: Legacies of Belonging

Location

UAB Hall

Stories of community are also stories of survival. This session explores how literature can illuminate the lives of groups often pushed to the margins—from diasporas to colonised peoples—and how writing becomes an archive of memory, identity, and resilience across time and place.

Speakers: Nirmala Lakshman, Reggie Baay
Moderator/Host: Gareth Richards