The 14th edition of Hyderabad Literary Festival goes bigger and beyond literature

The Hyderabad Literary Festival (HLF) expands its cultural offerings with new tracks on science, climate, and indigenous languages.

The Hyderabad Literary Festival (HLF), which has emerged as one of the biggest cultural events in the city over the past 14 years, is expected to go bigger and beyond literature for its 14th edition to be held between January 26-28 at Sattva Knowledge City in Hitech City.

The three-day event has a lineup of 15 different streams across subjects: Literature, Storytelling, Meet My Book, Culture, Indigenous and Endangered Languages, Kaavya Dhaara, Interlude, Moving Images, Nanha Nukkad, Youngistaan Nukkad, Climate Conversations, Science and The City, Stage Talks, Workshops, and Exhibitions.

Besides the usual focus on literature, poetry, art, and culture, this year’s schedule will have conversations around science and climate, including STEM booths, mobile science exhibitions, workshops. Talks by scientists, science journalists, and science fiction authors will be organised – in sync with the new venue of Sattva Knowledge City, which is a business park and futuristic hub for technology and science in the city. 

Organisers inform that in order to accommodate an estimated crowd of around 40,000 people and comfortably host the expansive range of events, the venue has been shifted to a larger space, shifting base from staple locations such as Vidyaranya High School, Hyderabad Public School (HPS), and Lamakaan, among others.

Following the United Nations’ declaration of the current decade as the ‘International Decade of Indigenous Languages’, the festival will host talks such as ‘Vanishing Voices of the Andamans’ by linguist Anvita Abbi; ‘Articulating Adivasi Voices’ by Adivasi poet and activist Jacinta Kerketta and journalist Nidhi Dugar Kundalia; ‘One Life in Two Languages: President Murmu in Santali and English’ by  Santali author Damayanti Beshra and journalist Kasturi Ray; multilingual readings by Gond artists Durgabhai Vyam and Subhas Vyam, Santhali writer Hansda Sowvendra Shekhar, and several others.

While over 200 speakers, guests, and performers will grace the festival, Odia literature has been chosen as the ‘Indian Language in Focus’ with panels including a variety of Odia authors and personalities; Norway has been designated as the ‘Country in Focus’ with Norwegian author Marta Breen delivering a talk. 

The Ajay Gandhi Memorial Valedictory lecture will be delivered by Shashi Tharoor; Ajay Gandhi played a key role in shaping the literature festival and passed away in 2021. Some significant speakers include Javed Akhtar, Aakar Patel, Prahlad Kakar, and Mukund Padmanabhan, among others.