Kerala Tourism has announced Yaanam, a first-of-its-kind travel festival that celebrates journeys and the many ways it is documented and shared. For its first edition, Yaanam will be hosted at Ranga Kala Kendram at the Cliff, Varkala, on October 17, 18, and 19, 2025.
Yaanam 2025 will feature a star-studded and eclectic lineup of speakers, including Booker Prize winner Shehan Karunatilaka, Grammy Award-winning musician Prakash Sontakke, noted journalist and author Pallavi Aiyar, Gratiaen Award-winning Sri Lankan author Andrew Fidel Fernando, and poet, playwright, nonfiction and literary travel writer, Prof. Nathalie Handal, who is called a “contemporary Orpheus.”
Enriching our discussions are Tibetan poet Tenzin Tsundue, journalist and author Sudeep Chakravarti, and critically acclaimed photographer Asha Thadani. Bringing in a strong spirit of adventure, Piya Bahadur joins us with stories about her all-women biking expedition across six countries and more.
The lineup also includes the famous travel documentarian and writer duo Priya Ganapathy and Anurag Mallick, food guru Karen Anand, and trend-setting travel vlogger KritikaGoel, among other accomplished, insightful and exciting names.
In addition to discussions and exchanges, the festival will host curated trails that highlight the attractions of Varkala, as well as engaging workshops on writing, photography, and wellness.
Yaanam is the product of a deeply committed curatorial team. The festival has been envisioned and shaped by novelist and curator Sabin Iqbal, and programmed by author Nirmala Govindarajan, whose literary works have been noted for their intense travels.