Twinkle Khanna, Rahul Dravid to regale crowd with stories at Bangalore Lit Fest

The sixth edition of the Bangalore Literature Festival ( BLF) will bring a mixed bag of personalities to the city on October 28 and 29. Themed `Speak Up, Speak Out' -around the debate on threats to freedom of expression -prominent names like Suketu Mehta, Twinkle Khanna, Rahul Dravid, Indira Lankesh, Perumal Murugan, Kanhaiya Kumar and Ramachandra Guha will participate in some of the 70 odd panels at the event.


Suketu Mehta

“The overarching theme has been curated around recent socio-political developments, from online trolling to mandatory linking of Aadhar cards, so that people find it relevant,“ said festival director Shinie Antony .“A majority of our panelists this year are first-timers. We want to include a variety of voices and en sure everyone is heard,“ she said.


Ramchandra Guha

A few politically-charged sessions will focus on the rise of nationalist sentiments in India, litigations against journalists reporting on big businesses and need for writers to speak up against the system.

And to answer all your questions and guesses on our speakers and itinerary, here's a feeler.
Full details here https://t.co/pPRdLO0Tk2?/ pic.twitter.com/TKzX8Pw2Nk

— Bangalore Lit Fest (@BlrLitFest) October 16, 2017

The focus will also be on sports, with Rahul Dravid and journalist Prem Panicker launching journalist Rajdeep Sardesai's latest book on cricket. Another panel on India's T20 World Cup win will include Anil Kumble and Australian journalist Gideon Haigh.


Anil Kumble

A session called `Antara Gange' will discuss prominent Kannada women writing their autobiographies and it will feature Bhargavi Narayan and Dr Vijayamma.

BLF being community-driven makes the event one-of-its kind in India, according to festival mentor V Ravichandar. “Our budget this year is close to `80 lakh,“ he said.