Koshala Literature Festival 2025 to highlight literature, music, gastronomy

New Delhi, Nov 24 (PTI) The Koshala Literature Festival (KLF) will return to Lucknow from November 27–30, bringing together leading writers, performers and cultural voices for celebration of literature, arts and cultural dialogue.

To be held at UP Darshan Park, the four-day cultural event will pay tribute to Lucknow's recent global recognition by UNESCO as a 'Creative City of Gastronomy', while also celebrating the intellectual, poetic and artistic traditions that have shaped the city's identity for centuries.

"Lucknow has always celebrated diversity, in its language, food, music and art. With UNESCO recognising Lucknow as a 'Creative City of Gastronomy', we feel an even deeper responsibility to honour every shade of its creativity. KLF is our tribute to the many voices, traditions and stories that make Lucknow not just a city, but a shared emotion," said Prashant Singh, the founder of KLF.

Across the four days, sessions will explore mythology, women’s narratives, cultural memory, resilience, social change, digital imagination and storytelling -- reflecting the evolving dialogue between tradition and modernity.

The festival will host a lineup of Indian and international names including the likes of Ghazala Wahab, Manjari Chaturvedi, Anuja Chandramouli, Alka Pande, Koral Dasgupta, Neha Dixit, Muzaffar Ali, Kaveree Bamzai, Tigmanshu Dhulia and Rajit Kapoor.

A major highlight of KLF 2025 is the launch of the 'Sahir Ludhianvi Award' for poetry, a new national literary honour recognising poetic excellence in two categories -- for male and female.

The literary extravaganza will also feature international cultural collaborations through the participation of French poet Monia Aljalis, Spanish scholar Guillermo Rodríguez Martín, and dancer-choreographer Monica de la Fuente, whose work bridges Indian and Spanish performing traditions.

The evenings at the festival will transform the venue into a vibrant mehfil, with performances ranging from a Hemant Kumar tribute to Sujoy Ghosh’s “One Man Orchestra”, "Shaam-e-Sufiyana" with Vidya Shah, a grand mushaira, and a rousing finale featuring Chugge Khan’s “Qawwali from the Sand Dunes”.

To celebrate Lucknow’s UNESCO recognition, the festival this year will also introduce "Daawat-e-Sukhan", a curated trilogy of gastronomic soirées blending poetry and cuisine at Celestial Manor, Khajurgaon Palace and Clarks Awadh.

In addition, a 'Koshala Talent Hunt' will spotlight emerging poets, writers and performers, while a festival market and Koshala Haat will showcase books, crafts, artworks and Awadhi street food. PTI MG MG