14th Apeejay Kolkata Literary Festival to begin on Jan 12, 2023

After going online for two consecutive editions because of Covid-19, the 14th edition of AKLF reverts to its physical format.

The first international literary festival in Kolkata and Eastern India, AKLF, a non-profit initiative, free for everyone, is the only Literary Festival organised by a bookstore, the 100-year-old Oxford Bookstore.

This edition of AKLF has 100 Years of Oxford Bookstore as its theme. Alice Walker, in the company of renowned international, national and diasporic authors, will participate in AKLF 2023.

Maina Bhagat, director, Oxford Bookstore and AKLF, said, "The 14th edition of AKLF unfolds a year-long celebration of the Heritage Oxford Bookstore’s centenary - a journey which reflects the life, times and rich history of our great city.

"Oxford Bookstore has enriched generations of book lovers, to bring the world closer through books, to express their own vision of the future at the bookstore’s various platforms, to celebrate the diversity and richness of human experience. It has enabled our stories, our culture, and our history to be passed on to future generations."

Anjum Katyal, director, AKLF said, "In celebrating 100 Years of Oxford Bookstore, AKLF celebrates the infinite and inclusive world of a true bookstore, which makes space on its shelves and in its heart for debate, dissent, and contrasting points of view; and which welcomes writers of every race, caste and creed.

"No subject is too heavy or too light, too obscure or too popular for the bookstore, and AKLF reflects this wide range of interests in its programming. We cover everything from Historical Fiction to Mental Health to Gender, Street Food to Lifestyle, Mystery to Cinema. Come and savour the variety on offer."

For its 14th edition, the festival will feature a prestigious list of speakers, authors, and humanitarians from diverse fields of non-fiction, fiction, history, wellness to mental health, mythology, food, dance, history, art, and culture, translations, poetry, and music, language, on the grounds of Indian Museum.

The Pulitzer Prize-winning iconic writer Alice Walker will be among over 100 speakers at AKLF.