Postcard from Kozhikode: Books by the beach in Unesco city of literature

A sun-kissed beach with the Arabian Sea stretching out to the horizon is not usually the place you would expect to hear deep discussions about literature, art and culture. But that is what happens for four days each year in Kozhikode, a vibrant city in south India, during the Kerala Literature Festival.

The festival draws some of the best and brightest minds from around the world − and more than a million visitors − to this city on the Malabar Coast of Kerala state.

More than 500 authors and noted thinkers attended the eighth festival, held from January 23 to 26, underlining its status as one of Asia's largest literary events. Organised by the DC Kizhakemuri Foundation − a philanthropic organisation set up in tribute to DC Kizhakemuri, a publisher, writer and social activist from Kerala − the participants this year included a Nobel laureate and four Booker Prize winners.

Historically a melting pot of cultures and ideas, holding the festival in Kozhikode seemed even more appropriate this year, after it was recently honoured as a Unesco City of Literature.

The city − formerly known as Calicut − is where Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama first set foot in India in 1498. Merchants from across the globe came here to trade in spices like pepper and cardamom. Even today, its bustling streets have a distinct blend of historical gravitas and cosmopolitan verve.

Kozhikode is the birthplace of notable Indian authors such as Vaikom Muhammad Basheer, SK Pottekkatt and MT Vasudevan Nair. It is also home to more than 500 libraries and more than 70 publishing houses – a testament to the city's deep-rooted love for literature.

With seven stages hosting events, each drawing packed audiences, this year's festival offered ample space for a diversity of voices to be heard and for ideas to flourish, becoming a “celebration of democracy and a festival of plurality”, as its director, the renowned poet K Satchidanandan, described it.

The array of topics explored ranged from politics to cinema, science to philosophy, and more. Author and historian Manu S Pillai offered insights from his latest book, Gods, Guns and Missionaries: The Making of the Modern Hindu Identity, while British science journalist Angela Saini shed light on gender oversights and biases in a session titled How Science Got Women Wrong.

Esther Duflo, winner of the 2019 Nobel Prize for Economic Sciences, along with her husband Abhijit Banerjee and Michael Kremer, drew on her research into the role of women's empowerment in societal progress for her compelling talk titled Lifting Half the Sky: Women, State, and Development.

Author Paul Lynch spoke about his novel Prophet Song, which was awarded the 2023 Booker Prize, to emphasise the power of storytelling in humanising suffering amid a relentless 24/7 news cycle driven by social media.

Shashi Tharoor, Indian MP and distinguished author who is a familiar face at the festival, held thought-provoking sessions on socially and politically relevant themes.

“As lakhs of readers throng Kozhikode beach, it is an extraordinary festival, with authors, journalists and thinkers simultaneously speaking on nine stages over a large section of the beach over four days. KLF reinforces Kozhikode’s image as a premier city of culture,” Mr Tharoor noted in a post on Facebook.

The festival also featured cultural performances, book signings and exhibitions showcasing Kerala’s diverse traditions and food.

For many attendees, it was a “dream come true” to meet their favourite authors and get signed copy of books.

Athira Gopinath, an English literature student from Kerala, said she would not miss the festival at any price.

“This is my fourth year in a row. I feel like I step into another world – a world of words and endless possibilities. KLF helps me dream of the impossible,” said Ms Gopinath, who aspires to be an author.

Nisha Retnamma, a UAE resident and author of the recently released book Happily Divorced, said she “flew to Kozhikode to attend the festival because it is a great opportunity to meet and listen to all your favourite authors from across the world”.

“KLF’s impact extends beyond its four days. You will fall in love with the written word several times over.”