The 2017 Irrawaddy Literary Festival will be held at the Mandalay Hill Resort Hotel in Mandalay from Friday 3rd to Sunday 5th November. A complimentary three-day programme of events open to local and international visitors, the ILF was launched four years ago under the patronage of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi with the aim of liberating and promoting the Burmese literary community, connecting these talented authors with the global stage of free expression.

Previously attended by notable international authors such as Jung Chang and Vikram Seth, and Burmese writers including Ma Thida and Pascal Khoo Thwe, this year the festival promises more exciting names from the international world of literature including Lonely Planet co-founder Tony Wheeler, Britain's Poet Laureate, Dame Carol Ann Duffy, and award-winning Canadian writer, Madeleine Thien. Another highlight will be an appearance by Alice Pung, Australia-based author of Her Father's Daughter, recounting her father's experience in the Killing Fields of Cambodia. The ILF has confirmed over 100 Burmese authors and 30 international writers will present their works during this fascinating three-day event.