Nearly 150 authors from different parts of the world are slated to take part in an ambitious international festival of books and authors to be organised by the Sahitya Pravarthaka Cooperative Society (SPCS) between March 6 and 10 at Bolgatty Palace.
The literary festival will be part of an international book fair, with the participation of 113 publishing houses, at Marine Drive between March 1 and 11. Writer M.T. Vasudevan Nair will be the director of both, with filmmaker Shaji N. Karun being the creative consultant. Poet S. Ramesan will be the general convenor.
The idea is to turn the events into an annual affair.
A reception committee for the writers’ meet and book fair was formed at a meeting inaugurated by Public Works Department Minister G. Sudhakaran here on Friday. The organising committee for the festivals has Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan as its chairman and Cooperation Minister Kadakampally Surendran as vice-chairman.
There will be 50 sessions at five venues at the writers’ meet with some 200 speakers including Venezuelan author Fernando Báez, German philosopher Wilhelm Schmid, Serbian novelist Vlamdimir Pistalo, Bangladeshi writer in exile Taslima Nasrin, Gulzar, T.M. Krishna, Chandrasekhar Kambar, and Kiran Nagarkar. The book fair, which will have a book coupon project, is intended to promote reading among children. Approximately ₹1 crore is being mobilised by way of donations and crowd-funding for the project.
A logo based on Vyloppilli Sreedhara Menon’s poem Kakka (Crow), which symbolises freedom, an independent outlook, universalism and friendliness, was unveiled as part of branding the festival. K.V. Thomas, MP, unveiled the logo. Critic M.K. Sanoo launched the social media pages. Oncologist V.P. Gangadharan offered the first donation for the book coupon project.
Mr. Surendran said the government had allocated ₹4 crore for diversification of SPCS, its modernisation, launching of new book stalls and a modern press.
