The Mountain Echoes Literary Festival in Bhutan seems to be very interesting this year as the guest list looks very promising with the names including the likes of Shashi Tharoor, Nadeem Aslam and Imtiaz Ali among others.
Politician and Commonwealth Writers’ Prize winner Shashi Tharoor and acclaimed film director and writer Imtiaz Ali, among a host of others, will also feature at the Mountain Echoes literary festival, Bhutan’s annual distinctive literary, arts and cultural festival, whose organisers on Monday announced the second list of speakers for its upcoming eighth edition.
There will also be celebrated Bhutanese poet Ashi Sonam Choden Dorji and author of “The Golden Legend” and fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, Nadeem Aslam.The stellar line-up of authors unveiled on Monday includes names from Bhutan, India and around the world and the festival promises to capture global audiences with the presence of such names.
Bringing insights on nature and environment will be senior ecologist with the Royal Society for Protection of Nature Rebecca Pradhan; author and environmentalist Pradip Krishen and biochemist and author Pranay Lal. Phuntsho Namgyel, the first director of Bhutan’s Election Commission and author of the acclaimed book Forest for Gross National Happiness, will also participate in the festival.
Set against the stunning backdrop of the Eastern Himalayas, the much-anticipated event will see the presence of over 40 known faces from the world of writing.
“After seven highly successful editions of the Mountain Echoes Literary Festival, we are gearing up for an exhilarating eighth edition. The aim of the free, open festival is to showcase Bhutan and India’s shared historical and traditional narratives and at the same time promote the culture of reading, writing and literature in Bhutan.
“Each year, we strive to curate programming that presents audiences with interesting insights into the literature, art and culture of Bhutan, India and the world around. With the current line-up of speakers and authors from across the globe, the eighth edition promises to turn the world’s happiest nation into a storytelling platform,” Festival Producer and CEO of Siyahi (Literary agency), Mita Kapur said in a statement.
The festival is scheduled to be held from August 25 to 27, with a special inaugural ceremony on 24 August in Thimphu.
