Kathmandu, August 11
The 4th Kathmandu–Kalinga Literary Festival (KLF) will take place on September 13–14, 2024, at Hotel Yak and Yeti, Kathmandu, bringing together over 300 writers from Nepal, India, Bhutan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka.
This year’s headline guests include Banu Mushtaq, winner of the International Booker Prize 2025 for Heart Lamp, and her translator Deepa Bhasthi, recipient of the English PEN Translates award. Heart Lamp, a collection of 12 short stories written between 1990 and 2023, explores the lives of Muslim women in southern India. An exclusive interview with Mushtaq and Bhasthi will be held during the festival.
The line-up also features prominent voices such as historian Vikram Sampath, author of several bestselling works on Indian history; Vikas Swarup, Indian diplomat and author of Q & A (adapted into the Oscar-winning film Slumdog Millionaire); and literary agent Kanishk Gupta. Other noted speakers include Narayani Basu, Prof. Jatindra Kumar Nayak, Ashok Kumar Bal, Smarak Swain, Sandeep Singh Chauhan, MP Sujit Kumar, Vineet Gill, and Milee Ashwarya.
Organized by Jeewan Jyoti Digital Care (Nepal) in association with KLF, the Kathmandu edition celebrates the shared cultural and literary heritage of Nepal and India, along with South Asia’s creative spirit. The 2024 theme, Beyond Borders: South Asian Literature in a Changing World, will be explored through literature, music, dance, poetry, and art.
“KLF Kathmandu will be a lifetime experience for literature and art lovers,” said KLF Founder–Director Rashmi Ranjan Parida. Kathmandu KLF Director Vikas Bhusal added, “This collaboration reflects Nepal’s significant and diverse contributions to global civilization.”
