The 26th Kochi International Book Festival's organisers anticipate a crowd of about a lakh people for the festival, book sales, and exhibition. According to President of the book festival and executive member of the Board of Trustees of the National Book Trust, E.N. Nandakumar, a significant number of book enthusiasts, including college and high school students, have already attended the event, which takes place at the Ernakulathappan Ground between December 1 and 10.
Poet Sreekumaran Thampi officially opened the festival. Academic M.K. Sanoo, who also serves as the chairman of the book festival, and other dignitaries were present at the time of opening.
Over ten days, the festival is broken up into many sessions, which include book discussions, a poetry session, prize presentations, and a day dedicated to children's literature. Children and notable people interacted animatedly during a children's event on Saturday.
The Balamani Amma Prize, the K. Radhakrishnan Award, and the Leela Menon Award for Media are the highlights of the event. Tuesday's event will include a spotlight session on the environment.
On Monday, there will be a special session dedicated to Kathaprasangam, an art form that has successfully fought for its survival in the face of new popular entertainment channels. In celebration of the art form's centenary, prominent painters Edakochi Salimkumar, Suraj Sathyan, and Alleppey Ramanan will participate in a panel discussion. Ardra Maria Jaison would perform "A Colombian Miracle," a Kathaprasangam, according to the promoters.
The Kochi Literature Festival 2023 will be inaugurated by eminent Kannada writer H. S. Shivaprakash on Wednesday. The day will begin with readings and discussions on Konkani literature.
