The 9th edition of the Kalinga Literary Festival will be held in Bhubaneswar from December 16 to 20 with around 400 notables from the worlds of literature, cinema, media and politics in attendance.

This year, the central theme of the festival is “India and the World”.

"India writes in many languages and speaks in many more voices. In order to promote deeper inclusivity across the nation, our language, folklore, the 'Marga' and the 'Deshi' traditions will be showcased in the festival. The regions will have their pride of place, along with the province and the metropolis. Over the last 75 years, India has grown exponentially across all sectors," said curator and co-director Ashutosh Kumar Thakur.

The five-day festival will cover several dimensions of the interconnections between literature, freedom, Republican values, cultural diversity and social equity.

The key sessions will be on topics such as democracy, cultural nationalism, Generation Y, Indian Languages, publishing industry, mythology, Media, Market, Children, Women, Transgender, Citizen Engagement, Cinema, Sports, Ethics, Discrimination, Revolutions, Peacebuilding, Conflict Resolution and Harmony.

There will be several one-on-one sessions with leading experts. There will also be storytelling sessions that promise to add new flavor to the literary spirit of the festival. Apart from this, more than 30 new books and monographs will be released during the three-day festival.

Delegates and speakers of KLF will have a unique opportunity to participate in the Heritage Walk called Mystic Walk and participate in plantation and Mystic Mic. In order to expand the opportunity for the delegates, KLF team has partnered with local cycle clubs to provide cycles for speakers to roam around the smart city and experience the blend of ancient heritage and modern urban planning.

Four awards in literature will be conferred. These are: Kalinga Literary Award (for a distinguished writer in Odia), Kalinga International Literary Award (for a writer in any global language), Kalinga Karubaki Literary Award (for women writers) and Kalinga Literary Youth Award (for a young writer in any global language).

Rashmi Ranjan Parida, the founder-director of KLF, said, “Kalinga Literary Festival (KLF) 2022 returns with the promise of hope and optimism. Our return emphasises resilience and the spirit of Rise. We are delighted to bring back the joy of literary spirit to the temple city Bhubaneswar. We welcome our delegates & performers and look towards a great festival.”

Kalinga Art Festival, an exclusive art segment, will be held to showcase the best of the creations of contemporary artists.

There will be cultural programmes to showcase India’s art, culture and literature on each day of the festival.