The fourth edition of the Ilam Literature Festival is scheduled to take place in Ilam Bazaar today and tomorrow.

According to a press statement released by Prakash Thamsuhang, chair of the Festival, many authors, artists, intellectuals and politicians from Nepal, India and Bangladesh will participate in the two-day festival.

With the slogan ‘Literature for Tourism’, the two-day fest will include more than 20 sessions. “Professor Anand Kumar from India will be delivering the keynote speech on Democracy and Environment,” reads the statement. Kumar is the former Jawaharlal Nehru University professor and Goa University chair professor.

Organised by Ilam Municipality, Literature, Art and Music Foundation of Ilam and Ilam Sahitya Samaj in association with the Nepal Academy, Nepal Fine Art Academy and Red Panda Network, the festival will consist of many sessions on literature, commerce, environment, music, culture and politics.

Khagendra Sangraula will speak on his bygone days with journalist Deepak Sapkota. Krishna Khanal, Narayan Kaji Shrestha ‘Prakash’, Gagan Kumar Thapa, and Gokarna Bista are scheduled to speak on ‘Politics: Optimism or Pessimism’.

Journalist Raman Paudel will talk with Prithvi Subba Gurung, minister for communication and information technology, on the issue of social media, while singer Prakash Saput will speak on caste-based discrimination.

According to Festival chair Thamsuhang, the fest will include the Ilam Poetry Concert, a Ghazal symposium and others. Badri Prasad Pandey, the minister for tourism, civil aviation and culture, is scheduled to inaugurate the festival.

“We believe that we can promote tourism through art and literature,” chair Thamsuhang said. The festival will be held at Gautam Buddha Conference Hall in Ilam Bazaar.