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{{Short description|Literature Festival in India}}

'''Wayanad Literature Festival''' (WLF) is an Indian [[List of literary festivals in India|literary festival]].<ref>{{Cite news |title=Portal, social media pages up ahead of Wayanad Literature Festival |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/portal-social-media-pages-up-ahead-of-wayanad-literature-festival/article66194656.ece |access-date=2025-02-25 |work=The Hindu |language=en}}</ref> It is organized every alternate December at Dwaraka village of Manathavady taluk in the [[Wayanad district]], [[Kerala]] since 2022.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2022-12-28 |title=Wayanad Literature Festival from Thursday |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/wayanad-literature-festival-from-thursday/article66313974.ece |access-date=2025-02-25 |work=The Hindu |language=en-IN |issn=0971-751X}}</ref> It is conducted by the Wayanad Literary Foundation. The festival is directed by [[Vinod Jose]] and curated by Dr Joseph K Job, VH Nishad and Leena Gita Reghunath.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/kerala/2024/Dec/31/wayanad-literature-festival-lovely-dramatic-and-deep|title=Wayanad Literature Festival: Lovely, dramatic and deep|first=Krishna P.|last=S|date=December 31, 2024|website=The New Indian Express}}</ref> Two editions of this festivals have been completed till December 2024.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2024-10-05 |title=Second edition of Wayanad Literature Festival to be held in December |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/second-edition-of-wayanad-literature-festival-to-be-held-in-december/article68721705.ece |access-date=2025-02-25 |work=The Hindu |language=en-IN |issn=0971-751X}}</ref> WLF, according to The New York Times and many media houses, is regarded India's largest rurally-held literature festival.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/08/world/asia/india-literature-festivals.html | title=The Hot Place to be Seen for Young Indians: Book Festivals | work=The New York Times | date=8 March 2025 | last1=Das | first1=Anupreeta | last2=Bhaskar | first2=Gabriela }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/kochi/2024/Dec/27/ai-brings-back-literary-legends-like-kamala-das-vaikom-basheer-at-wayanad-lit-fest | title=AI brings back literary legends like Kamala das, Vaikom Basheer at Wayanad Lit Fest | date=27 December 2024 }}</ref> The recurring theme of the festival is Resilience, Expression, and Representation.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Wayanad Literature Festival. When the world comes to an Indian village to think, listen, read and talk |url=https://wlfwayanad.com/ |access-date=2025-02-25 |language=en-US}}</ref> The logo of the festival captures the ubiquitous wetland bird crane flying with a book on its long bill.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Kerala's newest lit fest germinates in the fertile land of Wayanad |url=https://www.onmanorama.com/content/mm/en/kerala/top-news/2022/11/09/wayanad-literature-festival-arundhati-roy.html |access-date=2024-10-29 |website=Onmanorama}}</ref> The iconic Thamarassery mountain pass to the Western Ghats takes the shape of the bird's neck and body.

== Editions ==

=== 2022 ===
The first edition in 2022 was inaugurated by [[Pinarayi Vijayan]], Chief Minister of Kerala with [[Rahul Gandhi]], Member of Lok Sabha from [[Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency|Wayanad]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/kerala/2024/Oct/06/250-writers-cultural-figures-to-take-part-in-wayanad-literature-festival|title=250 writers, cultural figures to take part in Wayanad Literature Festival|first=Express News|last=Service|date=October 6, 2024|website=The New Indian Express}}</ref> In the 2022 edition, over 100 authors were part of the festival, including [[Arundhati Roy]], [[K. Satchidanandan]], [[K. R. Meera|KR Meera]], and many others, which saw a footfall of over 40,000 people.

=== 2024 ===
The second edition in 2024 was inaugurated by [[Siddaramaiah]], the Chief Minister of Karnataka.<ref>{{Cite web |date=December 27, 2024 |title=WLF a tribute to revolutionaries, says Siddaramaiah |work=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/wlf-a-tribute-to-revolutionaries-says-siddaramaiah/article69033861.ece |via=www.thehindu.com}}</ref> Over 400 writers spoke at the festival and over one lakh ten thousand people were estimated to have attended the festival. Speakers included [[Arundhati Roy]], [[Parvathy Thiruvothu|Parvathy Thiruvoth]], [[Amitava Kumar]], [[Christophe Jaffrelot]], [[John Keay|John Kaey]], [[Santhosh George Kulangara]], [[Basil Joseph]]. The audience included a large number of who is who of northern Kerala and the visiting population of tourists from Bangalore, Hyderabad, Mysore, Chennai, Delhi and Mumbai during that year-end weekend.<ref>{{Cite web |last=S |first=Krishna P. |date=December 29, 2024 |title=INTERVIEW | 'I will be very disingenuous if I hold an event like media industry does' | Journalist Vinod K Jose |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/kerala/2024/Dec/29/interview-i-will-be-very-disingenuous-if-i-hold-an-event-like-media-industry-does-journalist-vinod-k-jose |website=The New Indian Express}}</ref>

== References ==

{{reflist}}

[[Category:2022 establishments in Kerala]]
[[Category:Literary festivals in India]]

{{India-festival-stub}}

Wayanad Literature Festival - Revision history

NicolasBull1: added initial entry v1!