SAARC lit fest: Barring Pak, scholars from all countries to attend

Writers, scholars, artistes and cultural thinkers from all SAARC countries, barring Pakistan, will unite for the 66th SAARC Literature Festival to be hosted in Delhi from November 9 to 12.

The Foundation of SAARC Writers and Literature (FOSWAL) announced the much-awaited event and said participants from India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Maldives and Afghanistan will be represented.

“The four-day event will see participants celebrate the region’s shared creative spirit through readings, panel discussions, performances and cross-border conversations and is open to all visitors,” Ajeet Cour, eminent writer and President of FOSWAL, said on Tuesday.

Cour has been at the heart of the Saarc Literature fest initiative since the event’s inception in 1986.

An advocate of cultural diplomacy, Cour has built platforms that connect writers and artists across South Asia through literature, folklore, craft and artistic exchange — earning her recognition as one of the foremost architects of Track II Cultural Diplomacy in the SAARC region.

The festival opens with an inaugural session on Sunday, featuring Madhav Kaushik, President, Sahitya Akademi, as the chief guest, and a keynote address by renowned political psychologist Ashis Nandy.

Distinguished diplomats Mahishini Colonne (High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to India), Shankar Prasad Sharma (Ambassador of Nepal to India), Riaz Hamidullah (Bangladesh High Commissioner to India), Aishath Azeema (High Commissioner of Maldives to India) and KS Rao, Secretary, Sahitya Akademi — will be guests of honour.

Cour said, “We, the writers and dreamers of the SAARC region, have always believed that culture heals where politics divides. The 66th SAARC Literature Festival is more than a gathering of words — it is a reaffirmation of our shared humanity, a celebration of friendship that crosses borders and generations.”