Kerala Legislature International Book Festival From January 7 to 13

Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala Assembly will host the fourth edition of the Kerala Legislature International Book Festival (KLIBF 4) at the Assembly premises from January 7 to 13, offering free entry to the public throughout the week-long event. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will inaugurate the festival at 11 am on January 7 at the R Shankaranarayanan Thampi Lounge. The inaugural ceremony will be attended by the Speaker, Ministers, MLAs and other dignitaries.

The festival will feature 180 publishers operating through 300 stalls set up across the Assembly premises. Book releases, panel discussions and interactive sessions with writers will take place at six venues throughout the week.

Several internationally recognised figures are expected to attend this year’s edition. Among them are Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, the first woman President of Mauritius; Booker Prize winner Banu Mushtaq; writer and activist Taslima Nasrin; journalist Rana Ayyub; and Sri Lankan author Choolananda Samaranayake.

The programme also includes participation by well-known public intellectuals and cultural figures such as T M Krishna, Aakar Patel, Shashi Tharoor and P Sainath. Malayalam literature will have a strong presence, with noted writers including T Padmanabhan, K R Meera and Subhash Chandran taking part in various sessions.

One of the highlights of the festival will be a special session in memory of actor Sreenivasan, with filmmakers Priyadarshan, Sathyan Anthikad and Kamal coming together to share their reflections. Cultural programmes will be held in the evenings, including 10 mega shows led by artists such as K S Chithra and Sithara Krishnakumar.

Theyyam, the traditional ritual art form of north Kerala, will be staged from January 8 to 12, with the performances to be inaugurated by Cultural Affairs Minister Saji Cheriyan. The Students’ Corner, to be inaugurated by Deputy Speaker Chittayam Gopakumar, will host interactions between students and IAS officers, as well as cultural and literary activists. The Model Legislature programme will be inaugurated by Minister P A Mohammed Riyas.