Lalitpur [Nepal], June 6 (ANI): The 4th edition of the Kalinga Literary Festival (KLF) has started in Nepal, bringing leading voices of literature, art and culture together. The two-day event starting from Saturday has the central theme 'Beyond Borders: South Asian Literature in a Changing World'.

Kalinga Literary Festival (KLF), one of India's leading international literary festivals, has been organising the Kathmandu edition since 2022 with the objective of strengthening literary, cultural, spiritual, and civilisational ties between Nepal, India, and the broader South Asian region.

The festival will explore how South Asian literature, art, and intellectual traditions are engaging with contemporary global realities, cultural transformations, identity, inclusion, spirituality, and social change.

'Artists, writers, scholars and thought leaders coming together to share stories, experience and perspectives is probably one of the most effective and interesting ways of connecting people and building lasting bonds. In case of Nepal and India such interaction further enriched by the profound cultural and civilizational ties between the two nations. This is also reflected in the broader India-Nepal relationship where our bilateral cooperation continues to grow stronger including in emerging areas and newer domains,' Rakesh Pandey, Deputy Chief of Mission, Indian Embassy in Nepal, said.

Over the years, the festival has emerged as a significant platform for dialogue among writers, thinkers, artists, scholars, filmmakers, musicians, diplomats, and intellectuals from across South Asia and beyond.

As per the organisers, the festival witnessed participation from several eminent personalities from literature, cinema, music, diplomacy, spirituality, and public life.

Highlighted participants include legendary singer and actress Ila Arun, renowned author Pratibha Ray, spiritual thinker Acharya Prashant, acclaimed actor, lyricist, and writer Piyush Mishra, and noted writer and filmmaker Raj Shekhar.

Other speakers and participants include Vikas Swarup, Paramita Satpathy, Upendra Nath Behera, Badri Narayan, Neena Verma, Archana Singh, Jai Prakash Pandey, Kuladhar Saikia, Malini Awasthi, Narayani Basu, Satish Padmanabhan, Yatindra Mishra, Sandeep Singh, Vikram Sampath, Anant Vijay, Yatish Kumar, Buddhisagar, Ashutosh Agnihotri, Sujeet Kumar, and Yunus Khan, along with many other renowned writers, artists, filmmakers, scholars, musicians, diplomats, and public intellectuals from across South Asia and beyond.

The festival features panel discussions, keynote addresses, poetry readings, musical performances, author interactions, book launches, workshops, cultural evenings, and cross-border literary collaborations. The festival is being organised in association with Yashaswi Pragyan Pratishthan.

Kalinga Literary Festival (KLF), based in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, is one of India's premier literary and cultural festivals. Besides the flagship KLF, the organisation also hosts KLF Book Awards, Kalinga Literary Festival Indraprastha, and Mystic Kalinga Festival. Since 2022, KLF has been organising the Kathmandu Kalinga Literary Festival to strengthen literary, cultural, and intellectual exchanges between Nepal, India, and South Asian countries. (ANI)