Organized by the DC Kizhakemuri Foundation, the Sixth Kerala Literature Festival is happening at the beaches in Calicut (also known as Kozhikode) from 20 to 23 January 2022 with the chief minister to speak on 21 January. The event is also endorsed and supported by the Government of Kerala and the Festival director is the well-known poet and writer professor K Satchidanandan. (Editor – These are the new and correct dates of the Kerala Litfest which has been pre-poned by the organizers to 20 to 23 January 2022.)
An Indian platform for science, art & cinema
The Kerala Literature Festival (KLF) is envisioned as a platform for discussions on various subjects. Kerala’s first major literature festival, the event brings writers, thinkers, and activists closer, to people of different backgrounds and interests. The sessions at KLF, aim to map literature through discussions on aspects of science and technology, art, cinema, politics, and writing, and other facets of human consciousness.
The festival is committed to providing an open and liberal platform for debates and discussion to foster progressive discourse. KLF aims to empower writers and thinkers to take the liberty to exercise freedom of thought and expression. The organizers say, “With the KLF we aim to become a major cultural intervention that helps to liberate the creative potential of the human being.”
The fifth edition of the KLF witnessed a record-breaking footfall of 270,000 readers and enthusiasts across the four days of festival attending sessions conducted by about 500 guest speakers and authors. Described as “The grandest celebration of words, ideas, and stories,” the Kerala Literature Festival has swiftly become one of the largest cultural gatherings in Asia and the largest in South India.
Every year, the festival presents an array of the best writers, thinkers, artists, diplomats, bureaucrats, actors, and luminaries from diverse fields. It attracts many of the change agents of our rich culture, bringing them closer to readers, authors, translators, intellectuals, and publishers by engaging in meaningful discussions on literature, art, cinema, dance, music, environment, science, and technology.
The Kerala Lit Fest is an indelible moment in the literary landscape each year and with its exponential growth over the years it has become the second-largest lit-fest in the country. The KLF attracts widespread attention from writers and readers across India and overseas from at least a dozen countries.
While the movie buffs are seen in numbers at IFFK, and art lovers wait for Kochi Muziris Biennale, KLF combines both these worlds seamlessly covering a wide spectrum of interests. Author of historical fiction Manu S Pillai, says, “It was a privilege to be back at KLF and to remind oneself why this is among India’s best literature festivals. The lineup of speakers is not only exceedingly impressive, the time and space allocated to writers across languages, and on themes that are so diverse, makes attendance a richly rewarding experience. The audience is extraordinarily good and invested in the festival, their enthusiasm palpable from the large distances many of them travel to be at KLF. And finally, that the festival is situated in Kozhikode – a city with such a remarkable past – makes the KLF even more delightful.”
