New Delhi: Sahitya Akademi, India’s premier literary institution under the Ministry of Culture, is set to organize its annual Festival of Letters at Rabindra Bhavan, New Delhi, from March 7 to March 12, 2025. This grand literary event, recognized as Asia’s largest literature festival, will witness the participation of around 700 writers from across India, representing 50+ languages in over 100 sessions.
The festival will be inaugurated by Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Minister of Culture and Tourism, Government of India. The award ceremony will have Mahesh Dattani, an eminent English playwright, as the chief guest, during which the prestigious Sahitya Akademi Awards in 23 languages will be conferred. Additionally, Upamanyu Chatterjee, a renowned writer and scholar, will deliver this year’s Samvatsar Lecture.
The theme for this year’s festival is Indian Literary Traditions, with a National Seminar on the topic scheduled for the final three days. This seminar will feature discussions by eminent thinkers and writers on the richness and diversity of Indian literature.
The Festival of Letters has upheld its reputation as India’s most inclusive literature festival since 1985, bringing together a diverse array of literary voices. The event will feature sessions with young writers, women writers, Dalit writers, writers from the North East, tribal writers, LGBTQ writers and poets, alongside distinguished personalities including translators, publishers, and critics.
A special highlight of the festival is ‘Spin A Tale’, a daylong program dedicated to children on the final day, aimed at encouraging young minds to explore the magic of storytelling. Throughout the festival, attendees can enjoy presentations, readings, and discussions covering a wide range of literary subjects.
Adding to the cultural vibrancy, three evenings of the festival will be dedicated to musical and theatrical performances by eminent artists, including Rakesh Chaurasia (flute recital), Nalini Joshi (Hindustani vocal), and Fouzia Dastango & Ritesh Yadav (Dastan-e-Mahabharata).
The Festival of Letters 2025 is open to all and free of charge, inviting literature enthusiasts and cultural aficionados to immerse themselves in India’s longest-running literature festival.
