Malabar Literature Festival to Start at Kozhikode Beach Today
Kozhikode : The inaugural edition of the Malabar Literature Festival (MLF) is set to commence today (Thursday) at Kozhikode Beach. Celebrating the rich tapestry of Malabar’s language, literature, arts, culture, and international relations, MLF is a unique amalgamation of language, literature, and arts and will run until December 3.
The opening ceremony is scheduled for 6 pm, inaugurated by Panakkad Sayyid Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal, with author Subhash Chandran delivering the keynote address. The inaugural session will feature a mesmerizing Qawwali Night by the renowned Warsi Brothers.
Featuring a diverse array of authors, activists, and global thought leaders, the four-day MLF will showcase around 300 speakers across 80 sessions, engaging in thought-provoking discussions, film exhibitions, documentary screenings, musical concerts, cultural evenings, and book fairs. Highlights of the cultural evenings at MLF include Gazal Night, Jugalbandi performances, and live shows. Special sessions will delve into discussions about football, the Palestinian cause, drama, cinema, tribal culture, and travel.
MLF will also host discussions and film screenings focusing on the unexplored life worlds of Mappila, Dalit, and Adivasi communities.
With its theme ‘The Sea and the Maritime Life,’ MLF’s inaugural session will feature discussions such as ‘200 years of Malabar’s Publishing,’ ‘Rejoicing Malabar,’ ‘Emerging Pop Culture in Malabar,’ and ‘Voice of Dissent.’ Additional sessions will explore distant lands and littorals historically linked to Malabar, including Kayalpattinam, Lakshadweep, Ceylon, Gujarat, Andaman and Nicobar, Hadhramaut, Hijaz, the Malay world, and Africa.
Eminent figures from various walks of life including Prof Ho Eng Seng, Nishat Zaidi, Christophe Jaffrelot, Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, Santhosh George Kulangara, Kalpetta Narayan, P Raman, Ajay P Mangatt, S Harish, Ashraf Hamza, Rana Safvi, TT Sreekumar, Muhsin Parari, Rahul Mankoottathil, MT Ansari, and Unni R will participate in various sessions.