The much-awaited Kochi Literature Festival will unfurl on Wednesday at Ernakulathappan Grounds, where the 26th edition of the Kochi International Book Festival (KIBF) is in full swing.
Kannada writer Dr H S Siva Prakash will inaugurate the event, while former KPSC chairman Dr K S Radhakrishnan will be the guest of honour. Kerala Sahitya Akademi president K Sachidanandan will deliver the keynote address. The theme this year is Celebrating Word Power.
The event will see the participation of over 200 writers and publishers. Advocate M Sasisankar, the director of KIBF, says, “We aim to promote emerging writers of different age groups by providing workshops and a platform for book releases. We expect the release of over 50 books.”
Agents representing various publishing houses are present with their respective stalls, adding another veneer to the much-lauded festival. Notable among them is the National Book Trust (NBT). Its workshop highlighted the importance of letter writing as a beautiful and intimate form of expression. “We want children to start writing letters,” says Preetika Dubey, an editorial associate at NBT’s National Centre for Children’s Literature.
The fest aims to provide youngsters with more accessibility and exposure to books. “The notion that reading is declining amongst youngsters is far from the truth,” says Nimmy Abraham of Manorama Books. This is quite evident, says KIBF president E N Nandakumar. “We expect a total footfall of over one lakh,” he says. The book fest concludes on December 10.