Top names to attend Kerala's Mathrubhumi fest

A total of 150 literary figures from 14 nations will take part in the three-day Mathrubhumi International Festival of Letters to be held here from February 2, the organisers said.

Organised by state's leading media house, Mathrubhumi, those who have confirmed their participation include Ukrainian novelists Oksana Zabuzho and Andrei Kurkov, also Scottish historian and writer William Dalrymple.

Besides, Bigao Chuol, poet, performer and cultural facilitator based in Melbourne; Malaysia-born author Felicia Yap, and acclaimed Indian writer and politician Shashi Tharoor, to name a few.

The various sessions would include trends, ideas and genres ranging from fiction, poetry, non-fiction, politics, environment, travel and cinema.

Festival committee Chairman M.P. Veerendra Kumar said they wish to transform the Mathrubhumi festival of Letters into a "strong and powerful cultural platform" where serious discussions happen around literature.

Tharoor said that the festival would excite the imagination of people coming from outside the state, besides inspiring the Malayali community, who possess an enviable reading culture.

The festival would include musical and visual performances, narrations, various literary exercises, plays for children, augmented reality sessions, exploration of traditional Kerala cuisine along with interactive sessions for youth.

--IANS

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