The Valley of Words International Literature and Arts Festival, 23rd-25th November 2018, will host some of the most talented writers, artists, creators and educators in our country, and outside. This year the Shivalik Hills Foundation has partnered up with the REC (Rural Electrification Corporation) to help make sure that the Valley of Words can attain even greater heights in its ambition.
VoW has a dedicated range of writers, from four-year-old Ayan Gogoi to ninety six-year-old Gulzar Dehalvi. The festival encourages and fosters new talent in all artistic fields, as reflected this year in its emphasis in promoting new authors by providing a platform for their book launches.
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A significant session this year will be the Vox Populi debate featuring a diverse and distinct range of parliamentarians discussing eloquently whether “Debate occurs outside or inside Parliament” – with the likes of Manoj Jha, DP Tripathi, Manish Tiwari, Jairam Ramesh and Tarun Vijay, who are each powerful speakers in their own right and occupy different ends of ideological spectrums, will be sure to provide a scintillating experience for viewers. A debate in Hindi discussing whether ‘Bollywood ne Hindi ko Aabad/BarbadKiya Hai’, will feature school children and promises to be just as thought-provoking and refreshing.
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Valley of Words encapsulates the definition of a literature and arts festival but it is also unique in its otherness. VoW celebrates military history and strategy, which have always been a crucial component of any discussion about India’s past, present, and future. This year our panels include sessions on India’s maritime relations with Asia-Pacific, and general relations with our neighbouring countries China and Pakistan. There are various sessions about the Partition and India’s wars since Independence. Valley of Words has made sure to have something to cater to everyone’s interests. There is also a Poetry Cafe to showcase the talent of established poets like Arvind Krishna Mehrotra and Keki Daruwalla along with budding young poets of Dehradun.
Valley of Words International Literature and Arts Festival is set to take place at Hotel Madhuban, Dehradun, from 23rd -25th November 2018.