13th edition of Hyderabad Literary Festival teems with literary enthusiasts

Authors, artists, academicians, and writers from across India are taking part in the three-day event, which was first launched in 2010

Hyderabad: The 13th edition of the Hyderabad Literary Festival (HLF), currently underway at Vidyaranya High School, is teeming with literary enthusiasts, scholars, children and their parents.

This year, the prestigious literary event is back to its offline avatar. Last two years, the event was held online due to the Covid pandemic.

---

Authors, artists, academicians, and writers from across India are taking part in the three-day event, which was first launched in 2010. The literature festival features different programmes, including book exhibitions, open-mic sessions, workshops, poetry reading sessions, panel discussions and screenings, among others.

The best part of the event is the QR Code tree, which is attracting children and parents in large numbers. Set up by the Food For Thought Foundation, a non-profit organisation, the tree has quick response codes pasted on it and visitors, who scan the QR Code receive information about various stories and folklore from epics such as ‘Ramayana’, ‘Mahabharata’, and other short stories in the audio format. The stories are available in 11 different languages, including English, Telugu, and Hindi.

“Any visitor who scans the QR Code will be routed to our YouTube channel, where they can listen to the three-minute podcasts,” says Ravi Teja, Program Executive, Food For Thought Foundation. Another highlight of the event is Ritu Kumar, a foot artist from Delhi, who is taking part in the event to display his work. His drawings are grabbing eyeballs as he can be seen painting them live on the first floor of the Vidyaranya High School.

The event also features musical concerts, both classical and fusion, and standup comedy shows to enthral and offer some relaxation to the visitors. “This is my first visit to the Hyderabad Literature Festival. I came here with my children and attended a couple of interesting workshops. Our children got an opportunity to interact with educationists, story-tellers, and publishers,” says P Santosh Kumar, a visitor.

This year, the HLF also features the story box which delivers short content at the press of a button. Developed by the Vidyaranya High School teachers, the story box allows individuals to instantly print themselves a story, poem, facts, or a puzzle.

Launched on January 27, the three-day event will conclude on January 29. There is no entry or registration fee and all literary workshops and sessions are free and open to all.