Authors once imprisoned for their writings will be among those featured in Myanmar’s first international literary festival, which runs from Friday through Sunday.
The Irrawaddy Literary Festival comes as Myanmar is relaxing its censorship rules. After the country, formerly known as Burma, was controlled by a military junta for half a century, recent political reform has opened it to the outside world and allowed more freedom of expression. While writers must still submit their books to the government, it can no longer block their distribution.
According to The Associated Press, more than 100 authors from around the world are expected to attend, including the Nobel Peace laureate Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the opposition leader who spent about 20 years under house arrest before being elected toparliament last year. Others include Jung Chang, the Chinese author of “Wild Swans,†whose books are banned in China; the British historian Timothy Garton-Ash; and the New Delhi-based writer William Dalrymple.
“I feel extremely happy the festival can happen at all,†Ms. Chang told The A.P. “I dream for the day when my books can be read in China.â€
