The New Indian Express ·
Odisha Literary Festival kicks off today, reclaiming the power of the word
BHUBANESWAR: The Odisha Literary Festival (OLF), eastern India’s flagship literary event organised by The New Indian Express (TNIE), is back, this time bigger and better.
The two-day celebration of literature, arts, music and ideas will be inaugurated by veteran politician, scholar and former Governor of Bihar and Kerala, Arif Mohammad Khan, at Hotel Mayfair Convention here in the presence of TNIE editorial director Prabhu Chawla, CEO of TNIE Group Lakshmi Menon, and resident editor, Odisha, Siba Mohanty.
With 25 sessions and more than 40 speakers, the festival’s 14th edition will be on the theme ‘Resurgence of the Word’ and bring together a diverse mix of voices and ideas, offering a vibrant platform for conversations, while celebrating the many ways in which literature and the arts engage with the realities of everyday life.
Khan will open OLF-2026 with a conversation on ‘Text and Context: Why Reading Matters’ with Chawla. Former chief election commissioner SY Quraishi will share his perspective on India’s democratic journey during the following session on ‘India and I: Evidence of a Democracy in Action’.
The next session ‘Chasing Fireflies, Talking to Trees: The Inner World of Nature’ will feature author Neha Sinha, while writer Sutapa Sikdar will revisit the life and legacy of actor and filmmaker Irrfan Khan in ‘Remembering Irrfan: A Life in Cinema’ in a chat with author and journalist Kaveree Bamzai. Veteran diplomat and author Navtej Sarna will explore the intersection of literature and diplomacy in ‘The Art of Diplomacy: Writing Different Worlds’.
Kashmir’s history and present will be discussed in ‘Writing on Kashmir: Contested Past, Conflicted Present’ session, featuring ICHR chairperson Prof Raghuvendra Tanwar, and Prof Amitabh Mattoo, dean, School of International Studies, JNU.
Science and stories of those who shaped it will take center stage in ‘Forgotten Heroes of Indian Science: Discovering What’s Lost’ with scientist and author Anand Ranganathan, and writer-columnist Sheetal Ranganathan, speaking with author and consultant Lipika Bhushan.
The place of ideology in academia and the shifting ground between left and right will be explored in the session ‘Ideology in Academics: Left, Right, Who is Right?’ featuring author Ratan Sharda and Makarand R Paranjape, Sri Aurobindo Chair (Hon.), Vedanta University.
A special session, ‘In Memory of JP Das: Experiments with the Written Word’, will bring together translator and literary critic Professor Jatindra Kumar Nayak, Dr Sangram Jena, former vice-president of Odisha Sahitya Akademi, and Dr Animesh Mohapatra, associate professor of English at Delhi University. Independent journalist and researcher Sampad Patnaik will moderate the session.
Actor Amol Parashar will share his journey in ‘From Chitvan to Dr Prabhat: Staying Close to Ground’, while author and historian Anirudh Kanisetti will delve into Odisha’s story in ‘Odisha and the Medieval World: A Snapshot.’ A conversation on ‘Ideology vs Scepticism: What Do Young People Believe’ will feature senior journalist Ashutosh and Prafulla Ketkar, editor, Organiser.
Day one of OLF will culminate with singer and author Vidya Shah addressing a session ‘On the Record: Making Women’s Voices Heard’.
It will also feature three book releases-’The Orissan: 2,500 Years of Odisha’s Culinary Heritage Rooted in Temple Traditions, Culture and Authentic Recipes’ by Sandip Das and Alka Jena; ‘The Little Book of Goodbyes’ by journalist Ravi Shankar; and ‘Ananta Das: A Memoir in Verse’ authored by Dr Sangram Jena, and former IAS officer Aurobinda Behera.
Sunday will open with writer Ria Chopra exploring the experience of growing up in the digital age in ‘Never Logged Out: Growing Up Online’, while the Odia publishing world and its prospects will be discussed in ‘The Future of Odia Publishing: Who Will Write, Who Will Read?’ featuring Grantha Mandira publisher Manoj Kumar Mohapatra, translator and Paurusha and Aama Odisha editor Asit Mohanty, author and PEN IN BOOKS founder Subhransu Panda. Writer and storyteller Miyog Patra will moderate the session.
A key highlight of Day 2 would be the session on ‘Food Stories: What We Eat is Who We Are’, featuring author, chef and television host Maria Goretti, Aali Kumar, food writer and founder of The House of Zaikanama, and author Meher Mirza.
Writers Sohail Rekhy and Anuja Chandramouli will revisit lesser-known stories in ‘Hidden History: Revisiting the Past’, while poet and writer Meena Kandasamy will speak on ‘The Rage of Women: Lighting the Way Forward’. It will be followed by a session on ‘Decoding a Legend: The Life and Times of a Singing Star’, featuring journalist and author Sahar Zaman.
Former Director, Human Resources of Aditya Birla Group and Rajya Sabha MP Santrupt Misra along with Sanjiv Sarin , author and former CEO of Tata Coffee, will speak on ‘A Question of Leadership: Learning the Language’.
The last session will see popular author Amish Tripathi delve into questions of morality and everyday existence in ‘Dharma in Daily Life: The Morality Question’. The concluding day of OLF-2026 will also see the release of retired IAS officer Bibhu Acharya’s poetry collection, ‘Poems Across Times: One Family, Three Voices’ in the presence of product manager of Aridbnb, USA, Ansuman Acharya.