From October 11-15, the Himalayas will be rife with the spirit of expression, as the mountains play host to the second edition of the Yes Bank Kumaon Literary Festival (KLF).
KLF is the first international “retreat” and “travelling” literature festival in the country. The second edition will be held at Dhanachuli, an enchanting little Himalayan village and at Jim’s Jungle Retreat in Jim Corbett National Park.
The festival was planned and conceptualised by Barkha Dutt (journalist), Anuj Bahri (literary agent), and Janhavi Prasada (filmmaker), and is supported by UN Women and the Uttarakhand tourism board. It aims to bring together celebrated writers, poets, artists, policy makers and intellectuals from within India and abroad, to discuss critical and relevant issues, as well as promote social and environmental initiatives.
This year, Amish Tripathi, Dr. Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Ajay Rawat, Preeti Shenoy, Nirupama Dutt and Jerry Pinto are just a few names in the inexhaustible list of speakers. Panel discussions will address Dalit literature, nationalism, and the idea of a star actor in Hindi cinema over the last decades, amongst others.
But as if admiring the mountains and picking the brains of bright minds wasn’t enough, there’s plenty more in store. Those attending KLF can go on jungle treks, or village walks and meet with children from local schools who are fond of reading and eager to meet the festival guests. There will also be cultural performances such as ghazals by Rashmi Agarwal as well as a session on Dastangoi, the Urdu traditional art of storytelling by Fouzia, the first female Dastango in India.
For more information on the speakers and the programme, head to the KLF site, and follow their updates on Facebook , Twitter, and Instagram.
Featured image source: Kumaon Literary Festival
Written by Priya Unni
