Amish Tripathi, Aroon Raman, T.M. Krishna, Shatavadhani Ganesh, Vivek Shanbhag, Capt. G.R. Gopinath among guests 

Mysuru: The 10th edition of the Mysuru Literature Festival, featuring eminent authors, historians, journalists, artistes, entrepreneurs and intellectuals from across the country, will be held on July 4 and 5 at Hotel Southern Star. 

Organised jointly by the Mysuru Literary Forum Charitable Trust and Mysuru Book Clubs Charitable Trust, the two-day festival marks a decade of literary engagement with sessions on literature, history, mythology, science, business, cinema, music, public policy and AI. 

Addressing a press conference at Pathrakarthara Bhavan this morning, Founder-Director of the Mysuru Literature Festival Shubha Sanjay Urs said that the festival would be inaugurated by Pramoda Devi Wadiyar, member of the erstwhile Mysore Royal Family. Bestselling author Amish Tripathi and author-entrepreneur Aroon Raman will be the guests of honour. 

Eight books will be released during the inaugural session. Padma Shri awardee Anke Gowda of Pandavapura, one of the country’s largest private collectors of books and M.M. Nikhilesh of Kalisu Foundation will be felicitated. 

Focus on mythology, multilingual literature 

The festival will feature several sessions on mythology, history and India’s civilisational heritage. Amish Tripathi and Aroon Raman will discuss mythology from a contemporary perspective, while Shatavadhani Ganesh will speak on the enduring appeal of Indian epics. Textile historian Mayank Mansingh Kaul and historian Jonathan Gil Harris are among the prominent speakers. 

Regional literature and multilingual writing will receive special attention through discussions featuring Preethi Nagaraj, Tabeenah Anjum, Vivek Shanbhag and Jonathan Gil Harris, among others.  

The festival will also commemorate the 120th birth centenary of celebrated novelist R.K. Narayan with a special session dedicated to his literary legacy. 

Leadership, democracy and poetry 

Business and leadership will be explored through conversations between Harish Bhat and Bhaskar Bhat on leadership lessons from the Tata Group. Aviation pioneer Capt. G.R. Gopinath will interact with veteran journalist Shankar Bellur on contemporary India and public life. 

Noted Karnatak vocalist and writer T.M. Krishna will participate in a session on citizenship and contemporary India alongside Srikar Raghavan, while Chandan Gowda and Amshula Prakash will discuss the evolution of Mysore as a developmental State. 

Hindi poetry will find expression in a special session featuring Dwarika Prasad Uniyal and A.P. Poornima, who will reflect on the enduring relationship between poetry and life. 

Cultural programmes 

The Kannada Stage will host a special afternoon session on July 4, featuring renowned Mysuru artist Badal Nanjundaswamy. The audience will also witness a one-act play, ‘Hennallave,’ directed by Sowmya Varma and performed by  Prof. Lakshmi Chandrashekhar. 

On July 5, the day’s events will begin with a performance by the Kriya Folk Troupe, showcasing traditional folk music and dance. 

The festival will also feature sessions on fiction, mystery writing, satire, short-story writing, scientific inquiry and the growing influence of artificial intelligence. Actor Kubbra Sait will participate in a discussion on cinema and storytelling alongside several authors, musicians and performers. 

Other attractions include the screening of the documentary ‘River of Life’, followed by an interaction with noted wildlife conservationist Dr. Sanjay Gubbi, besides book launches, author interactions, the Mysuru Contemporary Authors’ Corner, book sales by participating publishers and a Book Swap Corner.