Book Lovers! Here comes one of the biggest literary events in India! Kerala Literature Festival is the perfect occasion to meet like-minded people who like to bask in the glory of words. Poets, award-winning writers, intellectuals, famous personalities, and authors from different parts of the world come to be a part of the Kerala Literature Festival.
This is where you can be involved in more than 200 sessions, indulge in activities, and discuss your favourite books with others who enjoy reading! Budding authors will also get an opportunity to hone their skills and improve their work.
Kerala Literature Festival 2024 is approaching and the registrations are still open. Before grabbing your spot, read this blog to know what you can expect from the event, where and when it will be held, the speakers attending, and the registration process.
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What is the Kerala Literature Festival?
Kerala Literature Festival is the perfect platform where authors, booker-prize winners, writers, famous personalities, social workers, and activists gather to discuss topics of common interest. This is where you can brainstorm ideas with experts, learn tips to write the perfect literary piece, discuss world issues and set out on a path of progressive thinking.
The Kerala Government along with the Kerala Tourism and Cultural Department backs this event and takes care of everything required to make it a success. The Kerala Literature Festival is organised by DC Kizhakemuri Foundation every year as a tribute to the legendary writer – freedom fighter, D.C Kizhakemuri. He was the one who fought to remove the concept of sales tax from new publications and encouraged the masses to read books.
The 7th edition of this spectacular festival will be held in 2024. The festival was held for the first time in 2016.
Venue of Kerala Literature Festival
What better place to host this festival than the ‘City of Literature’? UNESCO has bestowed Kozhikode with the title of ‘City of Literature’ owing to its creative environment and the literary events that are often hosted at the place. It is the first Indian city to receive this prestigious name.
Over a span of four days, the Kerala Literature Festival 2024 will be held on the ethereal beaches of Kozhikode Beach. The permanent venue for KLF is the Freedom Square near Calicut Light House on Beach Road. Some of the sessions during the four-day festival will be held here. After the Kerala Literature Festival became famous, Freedom Square also became one of the most sought-after tourist attractions in Kozhikode. Also, it has an eye-catching architectural design.
Almost 5 lakh attendees graced the event in the year 2023 and the number is only expected to grow in 2024.
Dates and Timings of the Event
The Kerala Literature Festival 2024 will be held from 11th January 2024 to 14th January 2024. On all days, the event will start from 9.30 AM and can go on till 12:00 AM. So, be prepared to stay awake till late hours if you don’t plan on missing out on any activities during the festival.
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Speakers Attending Kerala Literature Festival 2024
The Kerala Literature Festival is famous for its vibrant atmosphere and discussions focused on different backgrounds like politics, history, culture, philosophy, art, literature, and spirituality. The visiting speakers add more value to the event and open doors to new ways of thinking. Here are the speakers who will be attending Kerala Literature Festival 2024.
1 – Shashi Tharoor
Shashi Tharoor is popular among the youth as ‘The Walking Dictionary’. His vocabulary and social awareness are commendable. He is an author, a three-time member of the Lok Sabha, a former diplomat, and a very intellectual man. He is the proud recipient of the Sahitya Akademi Award, Ramnath Goenka Award, Commonwealth Writers’ Prize, and the Crossword Lifetime Achievement Award.
2 – N Mukundan
Mukundan is one of the most celebrated fiction writers in Kerala. He has authored more than 40 books and four of them have been made into feature films. His books have also been translated into English, French and other Indian languages. Delhi: A Soliloquy, a famous book by N Mukundan, won the JCB Prize for Literature 2021. He has also won the Sahitya Akademi Award.
3 – Prakash Raj
Prakash Raj is one of the finest talents in the Cinema world and is known for his work in Hindi and South Indian cinema. He is an actor, director, producer, television presenter, and politician who has managed to leave a legendary mark in his professional field.
4 – KR Meera
KR Meera is known for her remarkable work in short story writing, novella writing, children’s literature, and essays. Many of her stories have been translated into other Indian languages. She is the proud owner of the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award, Odakkuzhal Award, Vayalar Award, and Kendra Sahitya Akademi Award.
5 – Bachi Karkaria
Bachi Karkaria is a well-known face in the field of journalism. She is a senior columnist, author, literature festival organiser, and media trainer. She has spread her wings and impressed people with her talent on international forums as well. You will be surprised to know that she was the first Indian Board member of the Paris World Editors Forum.
6 – Firat Sunel
Firat Sunel is the present ambassador of the Republic of Turkey in India. He is an author, successful diplomat, and international lawyer. Firat Sunel’s fiction novels have been translated into several languages including Malayalam. In the Shade of the Weeping Willows is one of his best-selling books. It was made into a TV series about the Soviets in 1944.
7 – Frances Miralles
You must have heard about the book Ikigai, right? Frances Miralles is the co-author of Ikigai along with Hector Garcia. The book has been translated into 67 languages including several Indian languages. It still is one of the best-selling books in India, Turkey, the UK, and the US among other countries.
8 – Anita Nair
Anita Nair is the author of literary fiction, noir, and children’s literature. She is also a poet and successful translator. Her books have been translated into almost 32 languages. She is the recipient of the Indian National Film Award in 2013, the Central Sahitya Akademi Award, and the Crossword Prize. Her famous books include – The Better Man, Eating Wasps, Rain is Born in poetry, and The Little Duck Girl in audio stories.
9 – Jerry Pinto
Jerry Pinto is a famous author, poet, and translator from India. He resides in Mumbai and is also known to have a good knack for journalism! He is an active lecturer of Journalism in the Social Communications Media Department of Sophia Polytechnic College in Mumbai. He is a strong advocate of child rights and more public libraries.
10 – Paul Zacharia
Paul Zacharia, popular by his name – Zacharia, is an Indian author who writes both fiction and non-fiction books. His work was translated into a number of Indian and International languages including English. His first English book, A Secret History of Compassion, was long-listed for the 2019 JCB Prize for Literature.
Other important speakers attending the Kerala Literature Festival 2024 are –
- Benyamin – He is an author, novelist and short story writer in Malayalam publications.
- K Satchidanandan – He is one of those authors, poets, novelists, columnists and translators whose work has been published in the most number of Indian and Foreign languages.
- Ambikasuthan Mangad – He is a short story writer and novelist who bases his work on real-life incidents and sufferings.
- CV Balakrishnan – He is the author of several short stories and novels. He also impressed people with screenplays and essays.
- Bobby Jose Kattikad – He is a Roman Catholic priest who is well-known for writing spiritually enlightening books.
- Charu Nivedita – He is a Tamil author of several short stories, novellas, essays and anthologies.
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How To Register?
Step 1: Go to the official website – keralaliteraturefestival.com
Step 2: On the right side of the page, you will find the ‘Register’ option.
Step 3: You will find three options – Friends of KLF, Student Registration, and Attendee Registration. Select the one that you want to register under.
Step 4: Fill out the registration form with all your details and accept the terms and conditions before proceeding.
Step 5: Recheck if you have entered the right details, make the payment and Register.
Registration Costs and Benefits
The Kerala Literature Festival is a non-profit event whose only aim is to spread the love for literature and books. However, organising an event that attracts approximately 5 lakh people every year can be financially taxing. That is why, the organisation – DC Kizhakemuri Foundation accepts donations from attendees. They have also introduced premium registrations under the name ‘Friends of KLF’.
The Registration has three categories –
Attendee Registration – These are free of cost. When you arrive at the event, you will be given a festival calendar to keep track of the different sessions.
Student Registration – The student registrations are for the young minds who will shape this world tomorrow! This will cost INR 699 and the benefits include special sessions with delegates, a tote bag filled with goodies, a designer book, a delegate tag, priority book signing access, and an INR 150 book coupon that is redeemable on the DC online store.
Friends of KLF – Friends of KLF is a premium registration process that comes at INR 1199. However, early bird registrations will cost you INR 999. The benefits include exclusive sessions with other Friends of KLF members, a tote bag with goodies, a designer notebook, Friends of KLF tag, Priority book signing access, INR 150 coupon to shop in festival bookstores, INR 150 coupon to shop on DC online store.
How To Reach Kozhikode?
By Air
It is very easy to reach Kozhikode by flight. The Calicut International Airport is about 30 km from Kozhikode Beach. Once you land at the airport, you can find taxis and buses to the beach. The Calicut airport is well connected with other metropolitan cities like Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bangalore and more.
By Rail
The train journey is very scenic. As soon as you enter the Kerala border, the awesome greenery and serene environment will make you feel energised. There are trains connecting Kozhikode to Kochi, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Delhi. From the railway station, you can easily find buses or taxis to Kozhikode Beach.
By Road
Private and Government buses operate well on all routes that connect Kozhikode to other metropolitan cities like Mysore, Chennai, Coimbatore, Mangalore, Bangalore, and Hyderabad. If you are planning a road trip, note that the route from Ooty to Kozhikode is one of the best in the country owing to its lush green canopies and soothing winds.
When you reach Kozhikode, book your affordable stays at Treebo Hotels in Kozhikode for an unforgettable festival experience!
Kerala Literature Festival aims to increase the love for words, creativity and talent. Words have the power to bridge the gap between cultures. They are also capable of waging wars or transforming the world for good. It all depends on how an individual or group plans to use them. The important delegates and speakers at the Kerala Literature Festival 2024 try to show you the path to progressive thinking. They will brainstorm ideas, and share tips and tricks to write the best poems, short stories, novels, and plays. You can share your opinions about philosophy, spirituality, cultural vibrance, and many other things.
Over the span of four days, you can learn a lot of things and step up to reach a little closer to your goals. The Kerala Literature Festival 2024 is all about gaining the confidence to make a change in this wonderful world.
