Sikkim Art And Literature Festival Set For Next Month

The Government of Sikkim announced a new initiative - the Sikkim Arts and Literature Festival - Khangchendzonga (SALF) - to be presented in collaboration with Teamwork Arts, producer of the iconic annual Jaipur Literature Festival, to be held at the historic town of Yuksam, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, from 6th - 8th May 2023. India's Northeast is a treasure trove of stories, lore, legend, art and layered history. The region as a whole and Sikkim in particular are witnessing an unprecedented flowering of literature, poetry and art, with their creative arts extending to the oral literature and heritage of these hallowed lands.

The programme will celebrate the literary landscape of the region along with addressing important local and global concerns including climate change, wildlife conservation and biodiversity, history, culture and ethnicity, poetry, architecture, folklore, mental health, writings from the North East, fiction, Young Adult literature and more.

Speaking on the occasion, PS Golay, Hon'ble Chief Minister of Sikkim, said, "The artistic and literary treasures of Sikkim are deeply ingrained in the cultural matrix of India and the first landmark edition of this Festival will open them up for the entire country and beyond to explore and partake of."

Sanjoy Roy, Managing Director, Teamwork Arts, said, "We are delighted to announce our 1st festival in the North East; SALF, which will focus on bringing together local writers and artistes with national and international writers, thinkers and artistes. The choice of one of the most pristine world heritage sites -the Khangchendzonga National Park - as our primary location is to continue our effort to focus on climate crises and the need for environmental awareness and positive action."

The festivals next to the Himalayan mountain of Khangchendzonga will also host a stellar lineup of speakers namely - Amit Sen, Director, Senior Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist Children First; Anand Neelakantan, one of India's top selling authors, columnist, screenwriter, and cartoonist; Ankush Saikia, Shanghai Writers' Association's 2018 fellowship recipient, author and journalist; Anuja Chauhan, author of bestselling books The Zoya Factor, Those Pricey Thakur Girls etc.; Hoihnu Hauzel, journalist and writer from Manipur; Manjiri Prabhu, an Indian author, TV producer and filmmaker; Moushumi Kandali, author, bilingual short story writer, art historian and translator; Nawaraj Parajuli, Nepalese poet who is best known for popularizing the slam poetry genre in Nepal; Neel Madhav, Indian television personality, mentalist, illusionist, public speaker, author and TedX speaker; Panay Lal, author, biochemist by training, caricaturist and animator; Priyadarshini Gurung works at the Remote sensing and Climate Change division of Sikkim State Council of Science and Technology; Rosy Chamling, academic and writer; Shobhaa De, celebrated Indian author and columnist; Shombi Sharp, United Nations Resident Coordinator for India.

The spectacular programmer will also feature some celebrated artists like Harpreet, a versatile artiste who sings original musical compositions in Hindi, as well as in Punjabi, Bengali, Assamese, Rajasthani and Haryanvi; Bipul Chettri, an Indian singer-songwriter who sings in the Nepali language and plays Himalayan folk music with a contemporary touch; Kutle Khan Project, a unique collective of Rajasthani folk-sufi musicians led by Kutle Khan, a multi-talented musician and many more. The programme will include local performers from Sikkim as well.

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