The 5th Khmer Literature Festival is set to take place on the campus of Pursat High School and other locations from October 21-23 in Pursat town, Pursat province, with the theme “Living Legacy of Literature”.

The three-day festival features many fascinating programmes, including cultural tours, reading nights, writing workshops, discussion forums, a literary legacy exhibition, poetry parks, art, literary awards and performances, Pursat dances and written and spoken theatre performances.

En Sormanak, the festival’s programme manager, said: “This year’s event will be different from previous celebrations because the cultural arts are seldom celebrated in Pursat. In particular, because the festival will be held on the campus of Pursat High School, we will have the full participation of the students and teachers.”

“I invite the residents of Phnom Penh – and other provinces – to join us. Hopefully, they will learn something about the value of our shared Khmer literary legacy, as well as become aware of the cultural arts in Pursat town,” he added.

The event has received the support of the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Information, the Pursat provincial administration and literary community, private donors and members of the public.

So Phina, founder of the event, said this year’s festival will be a special occasion. Many authors and other members of the arts community will flock to the province – a place with unique potential and culture.

“This festival has me very excited. We could not have organised it without the help of our many volunteers, all of whom have worked tirelessly to ensure its success,” she added.

She said that the main purpose of the festival was to raise awareness of the literary community of Cambodia, and promote and uphold the values of authors. It has a focus on the value of social development and offers extensive marketing opportunities for the Kingdom’s authors and publishers.