Valley of Words returns with stellar line-up of authors

Valley of Words, an international literature and arts festival based in verdant Dehradun, is gearing up for its third edition which is to take place from November 15-17, at Hotel Madhuban.

In the past couple of years, the festival has established itself as a scintillating meeting ground of authors, columnist, artists, publishers, editors, philatelists, students, and many others from all walks of life – to come together for a variety of sessions, plays, cultural performances, exhibitions, and of course some excellent food. The four distinct verticals, apart from literature in Hindi and English, include Military History and Strategy, and the RS Tolia Forum, which addresses current debates about sustainability in Uttarakhand.

Day one begins on an auspicious note with a celebration of Guru Nanak Dev's 550's birth anniversary, through a stirring rendition of his Bani by Professor Nivedita Singh and group from Punjab University Patiala. There are three venues in the festival and parallel sessions throughout, so that there will always be something of interest happening for even the most diverse palates.

Day two starts with the launch of the Marigold as India's Flower of Remembrance. There are bound to be some illuminating insights from the Military History and Strategy panels on this day, since sessions like 'Kashmir: The Road Ahead' with Iqbal Malhotra in discussion with Maj Gen BK Sharma and Ashali Verma, as well as 'North East: Is the Assam Rifles redundant?' with Lt Gen Praveen Bakshi, Lt Gen Rakesh Loomba and Lt Gen Shokeen Chauhan will take place.

Day three begins with the Morning Ragas of the Young Maestros from ITC SRA, Kolkata, a charmed start to the discussion on 'Magic and Reality'. The Mushaira session will see Afzal Mangluri, Aleena Itrat, Gyanendra Kumar and Indu K Pandey in session curated by S Farooq.

There is a stellar list of authors who are shortlisted for the REC-VoW Book Awards, in comprehensive categories like English and Hindi Fiction and Non-Fiction, Translations from Bhasha to English and vice versa, and Writings for Young Adults. This year the awards will be distributed by the Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

Therefore, third edition of Valley of Words is sure to surpass even the past two years in terms of a rich and fulfilling experience for all.