Delhi Lit Fest kicks off in style at Bikaner House

The 13th edition of the Delhi Literature Festival (DLF) opened in style on Friday at Bikaner House, transforming the heritage venue into a hub of ideas, storytelling and artistic expression. With the theme “Delhi Writes: Voices, Visions and Verses”, the three-day festival promises a mix of literary discussions, cultural performances and thought-provoking conversations until May 4.

The festival was inaugurated by Delhi Vidhan Sabha Speaker Vijender Gupta. He said, “Literature is not a privilege, it is a right — for everyone. It reflects society’s conscience and festivals like DLF ensure every voice gets a platform,” he said, celebrating Delhi’s legacy as a cradle of creativity, dissent and dialogue.

Also in attendance at the opening ceremony were the NDMC chairman, Keshav Chandra and UNESCO South India representative, Tim Curtis. Chandra spoke about NDMC’s commitment to cultural and literary initiatives and Curtis underlined the global importance of preserving local narratives through literature.

The festival kicked off with a spirited panel discussion titled “Delhi as an Art, Cultural & Heritage Hub: Role of Social Media”, featuring fashion influencer Sukhneett Wadhwa, mural artist Sneha Chakraborty, author Anuradha Kumar Jain and historian Dr Swapna Liddle. Moderated by media veteran Arun Thapar, the session explored how digital platforms are reshaping urban storytelling and cultural engagement.

A highlight was the Delhi Literature Festival Awards, which honoured excellence across literary genres. Former diplomat Lakshmi Murdeshwar Puri won in the Fiction category for ‘Swallowing the Sun’, while ‘India on the Move’ by journalists Marya Shakil and Narendra Nath secured the Non-Fiction award. Amal Allana’s ‘Ebrahim Alkazi: Holding Time Captive’ was recognised in the Biography category, and former RBI Governor D. Subbarao was awarded in the Autobiography segment for ‘Just a Mercenary’. Renowned poet Gulzar was honoured for ‘Caged’ in the Poetry category, while ‘Whistles of the Siphoong’ by Rashmi Narzary won in Short Stories. Beloved children’s author Ruskin Bond was celebrated for his contribution to Children’s Literature, and Kamalakant Tripathi received a Special Honorary Award for lifetime service to literature and the arts.

The opening day also featured a range of engaging sessions, including a conversation between Lakshmi Puri and journalist Rahul Shivshankar, a presentation on ‘Mahabharat 2025: The Secrets of Shunya’ by Divyansh Mundra, and a panel discussion titled ‘Indian Renaissance: The Modi Decade’, featuring Dr Aishwarya Pandit.

Over the next two days, the festival would continue to offer a programme of panel discussions, book readings, theatre performances, poetry recitations and workshops. With participation from authors and emerging voices, DLF aims to celebrate the enduring power of words and the spirit of the city it proudly represents.