Kathmandu: Legendary Indian film actor, director, maker Amol Palekar, script writer Sandhya Gokhale, legendary singer and actress Illa Arun, noted film & music scholar Yatindra Mishra, dynamic you tuber turned actress Prajakta Koli  will join 4^th Kathmandu Kalinga Literary Festival which will be held in September 13, 14 at Hotel Yak and Yeti,  Kathmandu. This was informed by the KLF Founder and Director, Rashmi Ranjan Parida.

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Legendary Indian film actor, director Amol Palekar and acclaimed script writer Sandhya Gokhale will be on a session on the veteran actor, director Palekar’s Biography. In a deeply personal and reflective book, Viewfinder: A Memoir, legendary actor, painter, filmmaker, and theatre practitioner Amol Palekar offers a non-linear, honest account of his life, paying tribute to all who shaped his journey and that of the creative landscape of Indian performing arts.  Viewfinder is not just a personal narrative of an artist but a document of Indian cinematic history.

Legendary singer and actress Illa Arun will be in one to one conversation on her biography recently published by the Penguin Random House.

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Indian YouTuber and actress, writer Prajakta Koli will be in one to one conversation on her book published by Harper Collins.  YouTuber-turned-actor Prajakta Koli, popularly known as MostlySane, has recently been named the 100 most influential digital voices in the inaugural 2025 TIME100 Creators List. The honour positions Koli as the first and only Indian-born creator to be featured on this esteemed list.

Noted Film and Music scholar Yatindra Mishra will join the festival as speaker.  Yatindra Mishra is the author of four collections of poetry and some well-received books on Indian music, cinema and arts in the Hindi language such as Girija, Devpriya, Sur Ki Baradari, Akhtari and Shahernama Faizabad (ed.). The original Hindi version of this book, Lata: Sur-Gatha, won the 64th National Film Award and the MAMI Award for Best Writing on Cinema (2016-17). Besides, the biopic on Gulzar he has written the award-winning book Lata Sur Gatha (2016), Shehernama Faizabad (2016), Akhtari: The Life and Music of Begum Akhtar (2018), and Ayodhya: Parampara, Sanskriti, Virasat (2021).

Annual Kalinga Literary Festival (KLF) is one of the leading Literary festivals in World from India, from 2022 Kalinga Literary Festival (KLF) organizing Kathmandu edition in Nepal capital city .  4th Kathmandu- Kalinga Literary Festival (KLF) will be held on September 13,14, 2024 at Kathmandu.  Jeewan Jyoti Digital Care  From Nepal in association with Kalinga Literary Festival join hand for Kathmandu KLF Edition to celebrate the spirit of Lord Shiva and Gautama Buddha in the context of Nepal-India literary ties.  The collaboration will strengthen the cultural dialogue, religious as well as literary perspective and prolonged relations between Nepal and India and South Asian Countries. Over 300 writers from Nepal, India, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka will join the festival.

“4^th Kathmandu Kalinga Literary Festival will showcase literature, music, dance, poetry and other art forms. It will be a life time experience for the lovers of literature, Music, Dance, art, poetry . The Festival will celebrate the long-standing ties between Nepal and India and South Asian Countries in the context of the emerging global cultures,” said KLF Founder and Director, Rashmi Ranjan Parida.

Central theme of the festival is “Beyond Borders: South Asian Literature in a Changing World” said Kathmandu KLF Director, Vikas Bhusal. “Overall, Nepal’s contribution to global civilization is significant and diverse, reflecting the country’s unique cultural heritage, natural resources, and strategic location,” said Vikas Bhusal, Director  of the Kathmandu Kalinga Literary Festival.

South Asia is a region of profound literary richness, deeply rooted in centuries of storytelling, oral traditions, and written texts that have shaped the global literary landscape. From the epics of Mahabharata and Ramayana to the contemporary narratives of diasporic authors, South Asian literature has consistently redefined itself in response to socio-political transformations.

In the 21st century, South Asian voices have emerged as powerful agents of change, addressing crucial issues that transcend national boundaries. The theme for Kathmandu Kalinga Literary Festival 2025, Beyond Borders: South Asian Literature in a Changing World, seeks to explore how writers, poets, and intellectuals from the region are contributing to global conversations on identity, social engagement, climate action, economic development, cultural evolution, inclusion, and spirituality.

Kathmandu KLF 2025 will bring together established authors, emerging voices, academics, and literary enthusiasts from across South Asia and beyond. The festival will include:

Panel Discussions & Keynote Talks – Featuring prominent thinkers, writers, and commentators discussing the core themes.

Poetry Readings & Performances – Showcasing the power of verse in shaping consciousness.

Book Launches & Author Interactions – A platform for new and established writers to share their works.

Workshops & Masterclasses – Engaging sessions on writing, translation, and publishing.

South Asian Literary Awards & Recognitions – Celebrating the contributions of authors in shaping the region’s literary identity.

Cross-Border Collaborations – Engaging with international literary festivals and networks to foster global dialogue.