Kolkata Literary Festival Wraps Up with Lively Final Day
The 17th edition of Kolkata's annual literary festival came to a close on Sunday. The final day buzzed with energy as writers, thinkers, translators, filmmakers, and poets gathered across multiple venues in the city.
Closing Sessions Reflect on Core Themes
The closing sessions thoughtfully examined themes of identity, heritage, creativity, and tolerance. These discussions reaffirmed the festival's important role as a key platform for cultural dialogue in India.
Diverse Conversations Across Genres
The day featured a wide range of conversations. Topics spanned from crime writing and philosophy to leadership, media ethics, and palliative care.
Authors Amit Lodha and Rudraneil Sengupta engaged in a compelling discussion about crime narratives rooted in real-life policing experiences. Pavan K Varma offered reflections on India's rich philosophical traditions. Later, Varma delivered a memorial lecture that examined pressing questions of pluralism and reconciliation in contemporary society.
Literary Highlights and Cultural Explorations
Jerry Pinto led a moving discussion on life, death, and caregiving. Other sessions explored Kolkata's layered cultural history through literature and translation. Candid conversations tackled subjects like desire, gender, and self-expression.
Journalism sessions addressed the significant challenges of media responsibility in today's polarized era. An adda-style discussion beautifully captured Kolkata's enduring intellectual and cultural spirit.
Evening Celebrations and Launches
The evening program celebrated book design with the announcement of a cover prize shortlist. It paid tribute to filmmaker Raj Khosla on his centenary year. The festival concluded with the launch of a new work by Shashi Tharoor, focusing on the life and legacy of social reformer Sree Narayana Guru.
Engaging Young Readers and Poets
Parallel sessions for young readers actively engaged students through storytelling, poetry, and word games. The festival's poetry segment showcased diverse voices from across languages and traditions. This culminated in a heartfelt tribute to Kolkata's multilingual literary heritage.
A Festival of Ideas and Exchange
Spanning literature, cinema, history, philosophy, and poetry, the three-day festival ended on a strong note. It reaffirmed Kolkata's enduring place as a city of ideas, debate, and creative exchange. The event successfully brought together diverse perspectives, celebrating the power of words and cultural dialogue.
