The ninth edition of the Kerala Literature Festival (KLF) got off to a fine start at Kozhikode Beach here on Thursday (January 22, 2026). Several interesting sessions, including one by American astronaut Sunita Williams, marked the opening day.
Ms. Williams and Tourism Minister P.A. Mohamed Riyas jointly inaugurated the four-day festival at a function attended among others Tamil Nadu IT Minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan, former MLA A. Pradeep Kumar, poet and festival director K. Satchidanandan, author and chairperson of The Hindu Group Nirmala Lakhsman, and actors Prakash Raj and Bhavana.
The speakers handling various sessions, on a wide variety of topics, included Claudia Kaiser, Martin J. Goodman, Nirmala Lakhsman, Thamizhachi Thangapandian, Palanivel Thiaga Rajan, Jamling Tenzing Norgay, Narayani Basu, Swati Pandey, Jeet Thayil, and Prakash Raj.
The festival concludes on January 25.
