The festivities kick off with a party on Thursday at the British Consulate's general reception hall, and continue with 10 days of readings, lectures and discussions that will take place in venues such as Hullett House, the Helena May, and Asia Society.

The programmes have the potential to generate a lively dialogue on local and international literature. Here are a few highlights of the 2012 festival.

The Irish writer has had a long and distinguished career as a journalist and fiction writer, winning a number of prizes for his novels, which include (1999) and (2004). "I dislike being called a storyteller, and resent the implication that I come from a world where the oral tradition, something primitive and unformed, remained strong or intact," Tóibín writes in an essay for . "This was not true; the oral tradition was not strong in the place where I grew up. I was brought up in a house where there was a great deal of silence."

Over the years, he has filled the silence with elegant prose. In person, Tóibín is an engaging, passionate speaker who isn't afraid to speak his mind. His latest book is a collection of essays called (2012), and touches on the lives of writers such as Samuel Beckett, Jorge Luis Borges, John Cheever and W.B. Yeats. In Conversation with Colm Tóibín, ; City University of Hong Kong Presents: An Evening with Colm Tóibín,

For 20 years, the Hong Kong-educated Indian writer worked as a journalist. For a stretch, he was at a newspaper that covered the exploits of the overseas Indian community. "Every time a 10-year-old in Columbus, Ohio won a spelling bee I would call him, call his family, call his teachers, spend all day on the phone and write a 1,000-word report," he says. "If that isn't the kind of thing that will cut you down to size, tell me what will."

He also wrote poetry, drank too much and used drugs. In New York, he cleaned up after 30 attempts, and focused on writing. Thayil moved back to India where he worked on his debut novel, , an underground history of Bombay in the 1970s and '80s. The work is on the 2012 Man Booker shortlist. Open Mic Night In Conversation With Jeet Thayil Poetry, Jazz and Martinis Writer in the Opium Den An Evening with Jeet and Thad PolyU 75th Anniversary: Hip Poetry in Action

"It was as close to heaven and as far from hell as I could get that day, an isolated stretch of beach just four kilometres from the misery of Gaza City, where waves roll up on the shore as if to wash away yesterday and leave a fresh start for tomorrow," the Palestinian physician writes in the opening of his memoir (2010).

He was with his eight children that day, mourning the loss of his wife of 21 years to leukemia. A few weeks later, in January 2009, Israeli forces shelled his home in Gaza, killing three of his daughters and one niece. Abuelaish, who now lives in Canada, became an advocate for peace between Palestinians and Israelis. He founded the Daughters For Life Foundation, awarding scholarships to women in the Middle East. In 2010, he was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. In Conversation With Izzeldin Abuelaish The Power of Words and Forgiveness

The American journalist writes about technology for , and was previously at and . She is the author of three books on society and the internet, but her personal interest in classical music led her to write (2008).

In the prologue to the non-fiction work, she writes: "Gould's playing evoked a visceral response from people who had never thought to stop and really listen to classical music. There was something about the silence between and behind each note, the richness of the different voices, that captured the imagination and caused listeners to feel that their lives had been deepened and enhanced."

paints a vivid picture of the Canadian pianist and tells the story of the team of men who worked on the famous piano. Book Presentation: "A Romance on Three Legs - Glenn Gould's Obsessive Quest for the Perfect Piano", About a House and a Piano

The Indian writer is a man of ideas, known for his ability to capture social and cultural nuances in contemporary Asian life. In addition to contributing to , , and the , he has written several books, including a novel, (2000). His latest is a work of non-fiction: .

In the opening of , he posits: "The contemporary world first began to assume its decisive shape over two days in May 1905 in the narrow waters of the Tsushima Strait. In what is now one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world, a small Japanese fleet commanded by Admiral Togo Heihachiro annihilated much of the Russian navy, which had sailed half way round the world to reach the Far East." From there, he uncovers a history that allows us to better understand the current context and politics of Asian nations.

In and Out of Asia In Conversation With Pankaj Mishra

The award-winning English food writer and cook is known as an authority on Sichuan cuisine, but it was a trip to Hong Kong that first piqued her interest in Chinese food. In her memoir , she recalls her first trip to the city in 1992.

"Even the cheapest and most nondescript restaurants served stir-fries and soups more delicious than any I had tasted in England, and the sheer variety of food on offer was dazzling," she writes.

Later, she perfected her Putonghua and moved to Chengdu, where she studied at a top culinary school. She is the author of three cookbooks: and .

PolyU 75th Anniversary: Three Chefs Abroad Hot and Sour ; The CityU Creative Writing Series: Food and Travel Writing