Kalinga Literary Festival begins

Bhubaneswar, Dec 10 (PTI) The eighth edition of the Kalinga Literary Festival (KLF), which was cancelled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic, began in Bhubaneswar on Friday.

Odia Language, Literature and Culture Minister Jyoti Prakash Panigrahi inaugurated the three-day extravaganza, which has Nepal as this year's country partner.

Nepal Embassy Chargé d'affaires Ram Prasad Subedi, and poets Sitakanta Mohapatra and Ramakanta Rath graced the inaugural ceremony.

Poet Srinivas Udgata was given the Kalinga Literary Award, while poet Arun Kamal was conferred on with the Kalinga Literary International Award.

Scholar Gopalkrishna Gandhi said Gopabandhu Das had shown the way a fearless writer should behave as he had the courage to pen his thoughts while staying inside a British prison.

The former West Bengal governor said all the writers should follow Das' life story as a guide to become fearless with their pens -- the hallmark of a matured society.

Gandhi, Infosys Foundation chairperson Sudha Murty and Bollywood actor Divya Dutta were among the 30 authors who received awards for their books.

Minister Panigrahi said the KLF set a 'national benchmark' in literary festivals over its eight editions.

The festival will bring nationally and internationally-acclaimed names on one platform to discuss, debate and explore commonalities in the diverse voices in literature, KLF founder Rashmi Parida said.

Over 300 speakers from the world of literature, cinema, press, and politics will assemble at the three-day literary meet. It will feature poetry sessions, panel discussions and talk shows.

'India at 75: Commemorating the Republic of Letters' is the theme of the festival to mark the country's 75th year of Independence.

More than 30 new books and monographs will be released during the event. The festival can be watched live on social media platforms. PTI CORR HMB SOM SOM