Gandaki: The tenth edition of ‘Nepal Literature Festival’ is starting today in the tourist city of Pokhara. Organizer Bookworm Foundation has informed that the preparations for the six-day long festival at Barahighat on Phewa shore have been completed.
Keshavasaran Lamichhane, a member of the festival, said that the administrative preparation work has been completed since publicity. “The festival venue has been prepared, guests and participants have started coming”, he said. The festival will be inaugurated on Wednesday evening with the performance of poet Navraj Parajuli and singer Ujjwal Sagar. According to the organizer, there will be more than 200 distinguished people including poets, writers, politicians, artists, musicians and others from the country and abroad in the festival.
In the festival, there will be debates and interactions on art, literature, music, politics, economy, sports, etc. According to the organizer, more than fifty sessions will be attended by subject matter experts and learned people as speakers. Sri Lankan writer Sehan Karunathilaka, writer and journalist Akshay Mukul and others are participating in the festival.
Former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, leaders Gagan Thapa, Bishwaprakash Sharma, Sike Raut, Governor Mahaprasad Adhikari, Dr Bhagwan Koirala will be present as speakers. Journalist and writer Vijay Kumar, writer Samrat Upadhyay, Buddhisagar, Suvin Bhattarai, musician Ranjit Gajmer, actress Swastima Khadka and others will participate in the class discussion session. Gandaki Pragya Foundation is the co-organizer of the festival, Pokhara Metropolitan City is the promoter and Pokhara Pragya Foundation is the supporting organization.