BENGALURU: The Bangalore Literature Festival (BLT) 2022 kicked off with much fanfare on Saturday riding on the presence of prominent figures of the literary world including acclaimed travel writer Pico Iyer, journalist Barkha Dutt, and environmental historian Mahesh Rangarajan, among others.
Iyer started off the event with his keynote speech with a preview to his upcoming book ‘The Half Known Life’. “I’m visiting Bengaluru after 48 years, and it’s a joy to be back in the city, and especially, for a festival that is bringing people together for years. The big, engaged and enthusiastic crowd is like a validation and a reminder of why and what I do,” he shared.
The event, which is set to host 250 authors and speakers over two days, sawmilling of thousands of crowds. Adithi Rao, an author, said that the reception that the festival enjoys was largely due to the city’s audience who are much more receptive to literary events.
Another author, Devika Cariappa, concurred, and said, “I know for a fact that the reading culture in Bengaluru is deep-rooted. There are huge libraries and a plethora of independent bookstores across the city,” she said.