Bengaluru Festival Highlights South Indian Literary Diversity

Book Brahma's literature festival in Bengaluru will celebrate South India's literary heritage with 300+ speakers, 80 panel discussions, cultural performances, and an art exhibition.

on Jul 03, 2024

Bengaluru Festival Highlights South Indian Literary Diversity

Book Brahma, a Bengaluru-based digital media house, is set to host a pioneering literature festival celebrating the rich literary traditions of South India. Unlike most Indian literary gatherings that predominantly focus on English literature, this festival aims to spotlight the contributions of Kannada, Tamil, Malayalam, and Telugu languages to global literature.

Scheduled over three days, the festival will feature more than 300 speakers, including renowned authors such as Perumal Murugan, B Jeyamohan, K Satchidanandan, and Vivek Shanbhag. Around 80 panel discussions will be conducted in all four South Indian languages as well as English, covering diverse literary themes. Notable participants also include figures from academia, such as Akkai Padmashali and Abdul Rasheed, alongside prominent artists and cultural personalities.

In addition to literary discussions, the event will host over 100 publishers and feature an art exhibition showcasing works by 20 artists from across the Southern states. Cultural performances, including music by R K Padmanabha and Bindumalini Narayanaswamy, and theatre presentations by groups like Nirdiganta and Natana, will also enrich the festival's program.

Furthermore, the festival will welcome South Asian Literature in Translation (SALT), a department in the University of Chicago, emphasizing the importance of translating South Indian literary works into English. This inclusion underscores the festival's commitment to promoting regional literature on a global platform.