Galle Fort, the historic coastal enclave, hosted a two-day literary gathering to mark the arrival of Paper Plane, the debut novel by Sri Lankan author Nifraz Rifaz. Conversations, performances and readings unfolded across the fort’s ramparts and narrow streets, connecting place and narrative in an exploration of memory, identity and belonging.

Born in Galle in 1983 into a Muslim family, the year Asia’s longest civil conflict began, Nifraz later moved to Colombo. His novel examines migration, reconciliation and prejudice, set against the aftermath of the 2019 Easter attacks. Living between Colombo and Hong Kong and writing as part of the Hong Kong Writers Circle, he brings a transnational perspective to deeply local stories.

The programme opened at Art’o’San Gallery with a conversation featuring Professor Neluka Silva and artist Sandeepa Vithange, exploring literature as a space for memory, responsibility and post-war healing. An intimate dinner followed at Fort Printers, where 2025 Gratiaen Prize winner Savin Edirisinghe reflected on storytelling’s role in preserving personal and collective histories.

Day two began with a sunrise literary walk along the fort’s ocean-facing ramparts. Guided by Vithange, participants followed Nifraz as he read passages at sites that inspired key scenes. Later, the author and readers recited poems and excerpts from the novel’s fifty chapters, each titled after songs by British Sri Lankan musician M.I.A., over shakshuka, French toast and cardamom coffee at Coffee Brunch.

The festival concluded with What We Never Sent – In Flight, an open-mic performance by The Unscripted at When in Galle, highlighting the gathering’s central theme of unspoken stories.

Award-winning travel writer Juliet Coombe called Paper Plane “a book everyone should read this year,” while Neluka Silva said, “There are no easy answers in the novel, and we are left with a deeper understanding of the ramifications of dominant politics and their impact on personal lives.”

Galle Fort, shaped by centuries of trade and colonial rule and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1988, provided a fitting backdrop. By the festival’s end, Paper Plane had made a symbolic return to the city where its author’s journey began.