Irrawaddy Literary Festival

Burma has just held its first ever literary festival, which for a country not known for welcoming either outsiders or debate proved an exciting event. Among the guest writers at the Irrawaddy Literary Festival were Indian Vikram Seth, Burmese surgeon-cum-author Ma Thida and Burmese-American Thant Myint-U.

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Image: Aung San Suu Kyi (2nd L) speaks during the media launch of the Irrawaddy Literary Festival. Soe Than WIN/AFP/Getty Images.