This festival celebrates the man who wrote his own epitaph
Kasauli became synonymous with literature due to noted and maverick author Khushwant Singh. Eight years after he passed away, a literary festival in his name continues to keep his ethos alive. KS wielded the sharpest sarcasm and wit, quite effortlessly, and his lasting message to journalists and authors is one of deep scholarship and light-hearted irreverence.
LIVE STREAMING OF KHUSHWANT SINGH LITERARY FESTIVAL
The best of writers and authors from across the globe participate in this lit fest to celebrate the man who spared none, not even himself. Only a maverick like him could write his own epitaph which read: “Here lies one who spared neither man nor God. Waste not your tears on him, he was a sod. Writing nasty things he regarded as great fun. Thank the Lord he is dead, this son of a gun.“
The ambience, energy, and bonhomie among avid readers and writers is the USP of this literature fest. This year’s star attraction would be Booker-winner Geetanjali Shree. Her novel written in Hindi, Ret Samadhi, and translated into English as ‘Tomb of Sand’ by Daisy Rockwell, won the International Booker Prize this year.
Jnanpith awardee Amitav Ghosh, MP Mahua Moitra, singer extraordinaire Usha Uthup, and veteran journalist Bachi Karkaria will be there. World-renowned flautist Hariprasad Chaurasia, classical dancer Mallika Sarabhai, author and editor Sathya Saran, and celebrity guests such as Tusshar Kapoor, Divya Dutta, Gul Panag, Raza Murad and Muzaffar Ali will be a part of the fest.
KSLF takes place at the famous Kasauli Club in October every year, and this year’s dates are Oct 14-16. This year’s theme is Climate of Change: Still sprightly @75.
For the unversed, Khushawant Singh’s literary works include A History of the Sikhs, Train to Pakistan, Delhi: A Novel, Ranjit Singh: Maharaja of the Punjab and an autobiography Truth, Love and a Little Malice, among many others.
