Dehradun: The ninth edition of the Valley of Words (VoW) Festival concluded on Sunday after two days of sessions on literature, culture, sustainability, and public policy. The final day featured discussions, performances, and the announcement of the REC VoW Book Awards 2025.
The awards ceremony, moderated by Anoop Nautiyal, included REC Executive Director Pradeep Fellows and Festival Director Dr. Sanjeev Chopra, who presented honours across several categories. Winners of a student-led theatre competition: ITI Natya, were also recognised.
The day began with a morning concert, part of the ITC Musical Soiree series, followed by multiple panel discussions held across three venues. The keynote session on Uttarakhand’s past and future was chaired by N. Ravi Shanker and supported by the Doon Library & Research Centre and DIT University.
The Children’s Literature session, moderated by Pooja Marwah, featured the book Cactus Wants a Hug, with participation from students of Him Jyoti and Raphael Ryder Cheshire International Centre. Another session, India-Korea: From Humanitarian Assistance to Strategic Partnership, examined bilateral cooperation and was chaired by Col. Ajay Kothiyal.
Later, author Karan Madhok discussed his book Ananda: An Exploration of Cannabis in India, while Suno Kabir by Soni Pandey was presented in the Hindi fiction discussion. Other sessions focused on regional storytelling, translation, and institutional leadership, including Lavanyadevi, a translation of Kusum Khemani’s Hindi novel, and Individuals, Institutions, Ideas, chaired by Shishir Priyadarshi.
Workshops and panels through the afternoon covered diverse themes. These included a philately session led by Abhai Mishra, FLO: Women Building the Nation, a conversation on entrepreneurship under the FICCI Ladies Organisation, and Action! Script! Direction! Garhwali Cinema Today on regional film production.
Student performances under ITI Natya presented environmental themes, while journalists and writers discussed The Changing Face of Media and Dev Bhoomi Mein Mahabharat, which examined mythology in Uttarakhand.
A sustainability forum titled Think Local, Think Global: Mountain Cities of the Future addressed ecological and developmental issues. Other sessions focused on translation, Sanskrit language policy, and social empowerment.
The evening included discussions such as The Last Beggar: From Donation to Dignity, Jal on Dehradun’s water heritage, and Why Stories Matter on the role of narratives.
Over two days, the festival hosted more than 100 speakers and participants from various institutions. The 2025 edition concluded with a closing performance and an acknowledgment of contributors and partners.