Bhubaneswar: Kalinga Literary Festival (KLF) this year has a novel theme for writers, poets and artists to ponder on.
The central theme focuses on how to build a just society. In doing this, the fifth edition of KLF will explore how equality, equity and humanity have been presented, portrayed and pictured in contemporary forms of literature and art.
The festival will be held from June 8 to 10.
Former Indian diplomats Pavan Verma and Nirupama Rao, novelist Amish Tripathy, media personality Vinod Dua, TV news anchor Rajdeep Sardesai, poet and lyricist Rahat Indori, poet Rajendra Kishore Panda, filmmaker Nila Madhab Panda, actor KC Shankar, and poets Amaresh Patnaik and Soubhagya Kumar Mishra are among those attending the festival.
Young and dynamic authors are attending the literary festival to direct the discussions on justice in order to uphold the Ds in democracy - debate, diversity, dissent, deliberation, and decision-making.
There will be dedicated sessions on youth, indigenous communities, mythology, history, governance, foreign relations, women, transgender, climate change, cinema, media and the radio. There will be several one-to-one sessions with leading experts on the subjects.
There will be storytelling sessions to add colour to the festival.
KLF founder Rashmi Ranjan Parida believes literary festivals need to have a contemporary focus that would expand and strengthen the democratic space for dialogue and dissent to help facilitate inclusive policy making.
"For the first time, there will be a dedicated session on the transgender community. This session will have Apsara Reddy, Kalki Subramaniam, Rudrani Chettri and Anwesa Brahma to discuss the recent socio-economic and policy developments regarding the transgender community and how to weigh the utility of government initiatives on the basis of their lived experience of exclusion, discrimination, community, trans-community engagement," said Parida.
There will be a cultural program to showcase Odisha's art, culture and literature on each of the festival's three days.
