The curtains will go up on the first edition of Bhopal Literature and Art Festival (BLF) on January 12 at various venues at the multi art centre Bharat Bhawan.
Conceptualised by the Society for Culture and Environment, Heartland Stories, the three-day literature festival will present an array of writers, thought leaders, artists, academics and celebrities from India, US, UK and Austria. They will engage in meaningful and passionate discussions on literature, art, culture, defence and diplomacy, history and mythology, environment, food, technology and our future.
There will also be bookshops, exhibitions and cultural programmes- all related to art and literature. This mega event will be inaugurated by Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamalnath while Union Minister of Tourism Alphons Kannanthanam will preside over it. The inaugural ceremony will witness invocation of Goddess Saraswati with Vandana by Gundecha Bandhu.
Retired IAS and Festival Director Raghav Chandra, while talking to media persons here on Tuesday, said “BLF is an attempt at connecting literature and the masses. It reflects the spirit of the times and celebrates free speech and liberal expression. The flavour and multi-dimensional splendidness of words will suffuse the three parallel venues inside the multi art centre, Bharat Bhawan. There will be 60 sessions by 70 authors & artists, during the three days of BLF, highlighting important contemporary issues, poetry, fiction and creativity and giving space to dialogues, debates, recitals and special lectures.”
Meera Das, Secretary of the festival said, “BLF will also see the awarding of Sushila Devi Literature Award For The Best Book Of Fiction Written By a woman author in 2016 and 2017. The Jury has recommended this award to renowned author Namita Gokhale for her fiction Things To Leave Behind. The award carries a cash prize of Rs 2,00,000, a trophy and a citation. The award is instituted by Ratanlal Foundation and will be given away during the inaugural.