As we enter a new year, the usually quiet corridors of the Kerala Legislative Assembly Complex are set to come alive for a week with the rustle of turning pages and literary conversations.
The capital city is gearing up to welcome book lovers from across the state for their favourite event, the Kerala Legislature International Book Fair (KLIBF). Scheduled to be held from January 7 to 13, the festival will be inaugurated by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan at the R Sankaranarayanan Thampi Lounge here.
Over 276 new books will be released at the festival, which will feature more than 300 stalls set up by 180 publishers from different parts of the world.
Never short of iconic personalities, this edition of KLIBF will host an eminent line-up of internationally known figures, including the first female President of Mauritius Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, Sri Lankan author Chulananda Samaranayake, Booker Prize winner Banu Mushtaq, Bangladeshi-Swedish writer Taslima Nasrin, and Carnatic vocalist T M Krishna, among many others.
Political leaders — including AICC general secretary K C Venugopal, CPM general secretary M A Baby, state secretary M V Govindan, CPI state secretary Binoy Viswam, along with other ministers and legislators — will participate in multiple sessions.
The stages will also be graced by writers such as T Padmanabhan, N E Sudhir, V Madhusoodanan Nair, K R Meera, T D Ramakrishnan, S Hareesh, R Rajasree, and G R Indugopan.
A special session will be dedicated to actor and screenwriter Sreenivasan, who recently passed away.
Filmmakers Priyadarshan, Sathyan Anthikad, and Kamal will be part of the segment.
Theyyam will be presented at KLIBF for the first time, from January 8 to 12. The performances will include multiple forms such as Pottan Theyyam, Agnikandakarnan Theyyam, Kuttichathan Thira, Pookkuttichathan, and others. These will be performed by Mahe Theyyam Paithruka Samithi under the guidance of Padma Shri E P Narayanan.
The segment will be inaugurated by Cultural Minister Saji Cherian. After garnering a separate fan base at the State School Sports Meet, the martial art form Kalarippayattu will once again be showcased before the public in Thiruvananthapuram.
Playful and light-hearted interactions will resonate at the Students’ Corner, specially arranged for children attending the festival. Storytelling sessions, fashion shows, children’s drama, magic shows, and puppet shows will be held here.
In addition, students have the opportunity to interact with Child Rights Protection Commission chairperson K V Manoj Kumar, bureaucrats Arjun Pandian, M G Rajamanikyam, K Vasuki, and Indian Navy circumnavigators Lieutenant Commanders Dilna K and A Roopa at this venue.
The Students’ Corner will be inaugurated by Deputy Speaker Chittayam Gopakumar. A Model Assembly for school students will be held at the Assembly Hall at the Secretariat on January 8, to be inaugurated by Tourism Minister P A Mohamed Riyas.
Mega shows by singers K S Chithra, Sithara Krishnakumar, Manjari, Sreenivas, Sharreth, Madhu Balakrishnan, Vidhu Prathap, K S Harisankar, Gowri Lekshmi, and Shweta Mohan, along with mentalist Aadhi, are expected to be major crowd-pullers. These events will be held at the R Sankaranarayanan Thampi Members’ Lounge.
Arrangements have also been made for guided visits to the Assembly Hall and Museum, as well as the Zoo and Napier Museum, as part of a city ride programme, which will be inaugurated by Transport Minister K B Ganesh Kumar.
Speaking at the press meet after the inauguration of the festival’s media cell, Speaker A N Shamseer said that KLIBF has begun attracting visitors from across Kerala.
“People are already making travel plans to attend the programmes here,” he said.