Literary luminaries to shine at Mangaluru Lit Fest

Mangaluru: The seventh edition of the Mangaluru Literature Festival, organised by Bharat Foundation, will take place at the Dr TMA Pai International Convention Centre on Saturday and Sunday. The festival will be inaugurated by Shatavadhani Dr R Ganesh and writer Dr SL Bhyrappa. Sunil Kulkarni, trustee of Bharat Foundation, told reporters on Wednesday that the event will feature 72 distinguished speakers participating in 34 diverse sessions. The lineup includes language experts, senior and emerging writers, authors, poets, and orators. A highlight of the festival will be the launch of 14 books, including six in English and eight in Kannada, he said. Notable participants include Union minister for petroleum and natural gas Hardeep Singh Puri, former Intelligence Bureau chief Vikram Sood, former Indian diplomat and author Dileep Sinha, former IPS officer and Tamil Nadu BJP state president Annamalai K, historian and author Dr Vikram Sampath, JNU vice-chancellor Dr Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit, Swami Mahamedhananda, president of Mythic Society V Nagaraj, Himalayan geopolitical expert Dr Claude Arpi, political analyst Dr Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, Sanskrit content creator Samashti Gubbi, creative educator Vandana Rai, and others. This year's Lit fest Award will honour Dr Balasubramanyam, a member of the Union govt's Capacity Building Commission. The festival will include sessions across two main stages and a dedicated discussion area named ‘Harate Katte'. Notably, the festival will debut an experimental session for the blind, featuring O Aishwarya and Dr Mallappa Bandi, providing a creative platform for inclusivity. Another highlight is a special focus on regional and cultural heritage. The Gondaliga community, a semi-nomadic tribe, will be represented by Vittal Gondale, and the Tulu language will take centre stage with a session on Tulu Sahitya led by Dr Tukaram Poojary and Shashiraj Kavoor. The festival will also host creative workshops for children and Tulu Lipi sessions, along with book stalls. Participants will also get an opportunity to interact with authors. A dedicated session on Sanskrit, featuring conversations conducted entirely in the language, will also be held, said trustee of Bharat Foundation Shreeraj Gudi.