Mangaluru (Karnataka) Jan 8 (PTI) The seventh edition of the Mangaluru Literature Fest, organised by Bharat Foundation, will be held on January 11 and 12 at the Dr TMA Pai International Convention Centre in Mangaluru.

The festival will be inaugurated by renowned Kannada writer S L Bhyrappa.

Also Read | January 8 Birthdays and Birth Anniversaries: Know About Famous People and Celebrities Born on January 8.

Addressing a press conference on Wednesday, the trustees of the Bharat Foundation and coordinators of the festival said what was launched as an initiative by like-minded literary enthusiasts has grown into a major platform for discussions on literature, arts, culture, cinema, economics, history, and public policy.

The two-day event will feature panel discussions, book launches, film screenings, academic debates, and performances, with sessions in both English and Kannada to cater to a diverse audience, trustees added.

Also Read | FMGE 2024 Admit Card Out at natboard.edu.in: NBEMS Releases Hall Tickets for December Session of Foreign Medical Graduate Examination, Know Steps To Download.

According to Sujit Pratap, one of the coordinators of the festival, the event will commence with an inaugural ceremony by S L Bhyrappa, followed by a discussion on energy security and climate featuring Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri.

A session on narrative-building in contemporary discourse will be led by former RAW Chief Vikram Sood, he added.

In the afternoon, economist and author Sanjeev Sanyal will discuss process reforms as public policy and Jawaharlal Nehru University Vice-Chancellor Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit and Rajya Sabha MP and President of Indian Council for Cultural Relations Vinay Sahasrabuddhe will explore India's evolving education policy, said Eshwar Shetty, another coordinator, at the press meet.

The festival will also pay tribute to noted Kannada critic G S Amur in a centenary remembrance discussion. While Kannada literature will be explored through a session titled "Sansk?tayanam", he added.

On the second day, the festival will open with "Udayaraga", a musical performance by Medha Udupa, followed by an award ceremony honouring R Balasubrahmaniam, development scholar, author and public policy advocate, said Durga Ramdas, co-coordinator of the festival. According to her, the day will also see a session on historical perspectives by author Vikram Sampath who will discuss Tipu Sultan's era (1760-1799) with Kannada film director Prakash Belawadi.

Sunil Kulkarni, another coordinator, who was also present at the press briefing, said day two discussions will extend to cinema and technology, featuring legendary film director Girish Kasaravalli. He added that fringe sessions will focus on Himalayan geopolitics, underwater archaeology, gender studies, and B R Ambedkar's constitutional vision.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)