The 3rd SOA Literary Festival kicks off November 29-30 in Bhubaneswar, themed 'Culture, Creativity and Artificial Intelligence'. Padma Bhushan Javed Akhtar receives the inaugural SOA Sahitya Samman (Rs 7 lakh), with Odisha Governor inaugurating and CM attending Day 2.
Bhubaneswar transforms into a literary hub as the third edition of SOA Literary Festival launches today at Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan (SOA) Deemed to be University. Over 100 eminent poets, writers, translators, thinkers, theatre personalities, and media voices converge for 30 sessions exploring culture, creativity, and AI's transformative role in literature.
Odisha Governor Dr. Hari Babu Kambhampati inaugurates proceedings at SOA Auditorium, honouring legendary poet-lyricist Javed Akhtar with the first SOA Sahitya Samman—Rs 7 lakh, citation, shawl, and Saraswati idol—for his cinematic and literary legacy. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi graces Day 2's valedictory. SOA Vice-Chancellor Pradipta Kumar Nanda presides, with Sahitya Akademi’s former secretary K. Sreenivasarao and SOA’s Saswati Das attending.
Organized by SOA's PPRACHIN Centre, the festival spotlights emerging talents too, awarding SOA Yuva Sahitya Puraskar to writer Suryasnata Tripathy for his short story collection ‘Thia Puchi Naranga’.
Prestigious Honours:
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SOA Sahitya Samman debuts annually for lifetime literary excellence; Akhtar's collections ‘Tarkash’ and ‘Lava’ translated globally.
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Yuva Puraskar recognizes young Odia voices, presented November 30.
Session Highlights:
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‘Noise, News and Narrative: Whose Truth Do We Trust?’ with The New Indian Express editor Santwana Bhattacharya.
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‘The Machine as Muse: AI in Art, Music and Literature’; ‘Odia as Classical Language’; ‘Mother Tongue or Market Tongue?’
Akhtar, from a seven-generation literary lineage, shared a video message praising the event. This festival fosters intergenerational dialogue, blending tradition with tech.
Sources: Odisha Bytes, The Statesman, New Indian Express, Times of India, SOA Literary Festival