New Delhi: The Valley of Words International Literature and Arts Festival is set to host its eighth edition, featuring the Hindi Literature Festival Shabdavali, in collaboration with Uttarakhand’s Graphic Era Hill University (GEHU).
The three-day event will take place from 27-29 September.
Before its flagship festival in Dehradun on 16-17 November, Valley of Words is organising various events around shortlisted authors in Indore, Pune, Delhi, and Chennai.
The Hindi Literature Festival 2024 will showcase many sessions, discussions, poetry readings, and presentations by renowned authors, moderators, translators, and literary figures.
This year’s lineup includes Upasana, Joram Yalam Nabam, Prabhat Singh, Ramita Gurav, and Subhash Nirav, who will engage with students, faculty, and the broader literary community.
The inauguration session on 27 September will feature poet Praveen Shukla and will also see the launch of Dr Sanjeev Chopra’s widely discussed book, Hum Bharat Ke Rajyon Ke Log: Bharat Ki Antarraashtreey Seemaon Ka Nirman aur Punarnirman. It has been translated by Sachin Chauhan.
It will be released by Surveyor General of India Hitesh Kumar S. Makwana and GEHU Vice-Chancellor Dr Sanjay Jasola, who will also inaugurate VoW’s Hindi magazine Sadaneera which carries reviews of all 40 shortlisted books for 2024.
Beyond literary sessions, the festival will host cultural programs, photography exhibitions, painting showcases, digital art displays, and book fairs.
On 28 September, the birth anniversary of Shaheed Bhagat Singh, a special session will commemorate his literary contributions through letters, essays, and ideas. Amardeep Singh will present an audio-visual presentation on Akhandata kay Prateek: Guru Nanak (Symbol of Integrity: Guru Nanak).
Renowned poets Lakshmi Shankar Bajpai, Budhinath Mishra, Neelesh Raghuvanshi, Anjum Sharma, Mamta Kiran, and others will attend the poetry sessions. The festival will also delve into critical topics such as “Women and Literature” and “Literature from Uttarakhand”.
A discussion on senior litterateur Sudha Rani Pandey’s work Amartav ki Oar is also scheduled. Senior poet Lakshmi Shankar Bajpai and IAS Divyanshu Patel will explore the life, works, and contributions of litterateur Rahul Sankrityayan, particularly his association with Dehradun-Mussoorie.
ThePrint is the digital media partner for the Valley of Words Book Awards 2024.
Also read: Valley of Words 2024 awards: Winners announced in eight categories