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The ninth edition of the Kerala Literature Festival opened on the shores of Kozhikode Beach on Thursday, January 22. American astronaut Sunitha Williams was at the centre of the opening-day spotlight. Her presence set the tone for the four-day literary gathering. The festival began with packed sessions and strong public participation.
Sunitha Williams joined Tourism Minister PA Mohamed Riyas to formally inaugurate the festival, signalling the start of a wide-ranging cultural and intellectual exchange. The opening ceremony drew prominent figures from politics, literature and cinema, turning the beachfront venue into a vibrant public forum.
Discussions across the four-day festival will span literature, science, public policy and society. Speakers include Claudia Kaiser, Martin J Goodman, Thamizhachi Thangapandian, Palanivel Thiaga Rajan, Jamling Tenzing Norgay, Narayani Basu, Swati Pandey, Jeet Thayil and Prakash Raj, who will engage with diverse audiences.
This edition of KLF assumes special significance as it is the first major festival after Kozhikode was recognised as India’s first UNESCO City of Literature.
The festival will continue until January 25, bringing together more than 400 speakers from 17 countries. Nobel laureates Abdulrazak Gurnah and Abhijit Banerjee, Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales and Olympian Ben Johns are among those scheduled to appear in the coming days.
With Germany participating as the guest nation, the programme includes international cultural showcases, a dedicated children’s segment and evening performances. Spread across eight venues along the beach, the infrastructure and curated installations underline KLF’s ambition to position Kozhikode firmly on the global cultural map.