Kerala Literature Festival 2025: A Confluence of Global Minds and Arts

The 2025 Kerala Literature Festival, held on Kozhikode's beaches, will feature over 500 speakers from 15 countries. Highlights include Nobel laureates, Booker Prize winners, performances, and the KLF Book of the Year Awards. With France as the guest nation, the event promises significant cultural exchanges and discussions.

The eighth Kerala Literature Festival is slated for January 23 to 26, 2025, gracing the shores of Kozhikode. Organized by the DC Kizhakemuri Foundation and co-promoted by DC Books, this massive literary gathering will host over 500 speakers from 15 different countries, drawing an audience upwards of 600,000. Expect an inspiring mix of literature, art, and culture as esteemed figures from various fields come together.

This year's edition boasts the presence of Nobel Prize winners Venki Ramakrishnan and Esther Duflo and several Booker Prize laureates, says Ravi DeeCee, Chief Facilitator. A keynote feature is the representation from 15 countries, with France honored as the guest nation. The festival continues its legacy as a prestigious hub for intellectual exchanges.

Remarkably, six Booker Prize winners including Jenny Erpenbeck, Paul Lynch, Michael Hofmann, and others will be in attendance. Their insights, alongside those of Nobel laureates, will contribute to the festival's global repute. France's cultural vibrancy will be showcased by notable French figures like Philippe Claudel and Johanna Gustawsson, emphasizing the festival's goal of international collaboration.

Esteemed personalities such as historian Ramachandra Guha and actor Naseeruddin Shah are set to participate, alongside other prominent writers like Amit Chaudhuri and Abraham Verghese. The event will see a blend of literature and music, with performances by Ustad Waseem Ahmed Khan and others enriching the experience.

As part of the festival, the KLF Book of the Year Awards will honor outstanding achievements in both fiction and non-fiction categories. Works by authors like Manoj Kuroor and Upamanyu Chatterjee have been shortlisted, adding prestige to the awards ceremony.

(With inputs from agencies.)