By Dr Tania Saili Bakshi
In its tenth year “Dasham”, Valley of Words Literature and Arts Festival is pleased to announce the third edition of the South Asian Festival of Arts and Literature aka SAFAL, a one-of-a-kind celebration of creativity, culture, and intellectual exchange. This thought-provoking event, scheduled for September 28 and 29 at the South Asian University in New Delhi, is a joint effort of the Institute of South Asian Studies (ISAS) of South Asian University (SAU) and Valley of Words (VoW), Dehradun, building on the success of their inaugural collaboration.
The Valley of Words (VoW), now in its tenth year, has established itself as a vibrant platform that celebrates literary excellence across eight genres of the VoW Book Awards (VBA): English and Hindi fiction, non-fiction, and Translations from the Bhashas of Bharat into Hindi and English, alongside bilingual categories for young adult writing and children’s literature.
This year’s theme ‘South Asia: Land & Water, Struggles & Stories’ aims to bring together writers, artists, scholars, and enthusiasts to explore the region’s rich artistic and literary traditions while fostering cross-cultural conversation. This festival will feature panel discussions, performances, and exhibitions, creating an inclusive space for creative expression and intellectual discourse.
The two-day festival will be inaugurated by Michael Paul, Director of the Austrian Cultural Forum, and Prof. KK Aggarwal, President of South Asian University, along with Dr Sanjeev Chopra, Festival Director of VoW. The event also feature a keynote address by noted author and former Assam DGP Dr. Kuladhar Saikia. From English non-fiction, there will be discussions on Uttam Kumar Sinha’s Trial by Water, DPK Pillai’s Empires, Battles and the Making of A Nation, Probal DasGupta’s General Brasstacks: The Sundarji Story and Ghazala Wahab’s The Hindi Heartland with SAU faculty and scholars. In Translation from the Bhashas of India into English, Nishtha Gautam’s hindi translation of Anamika’s Sita’s Veil will be discussed. From the VBA English Fiction list, Shehnab Sahin (Colour My Grave Purple) and Rahul Bhattacharya (Railsong) will be in conversation with the SAU PhD scholars and faculty. There will also be a cultural performance by the Austrian Cultural Forum.
Speaking about the collaboration, Dr Sanjeev Chopra stated, “The South Asia Festival of Arts and Literature is growing from strength to strength as we engage with scholars to discuss the challenges and opportunities in this region. SAFAL has never shied away from difficult questions, unconventional themes and out-of-the -box perspectives.” He extended particular thanks to the support extended by the Sahitya Akademi to this endeavour.
Co-director of the festival Dhananjai Tripathi said, “The two-day festival will feature seven authors and a range of discussions celebrating literature, arts and culture.” He further added, “ The Institute of South Asian Studies (ISAS), South Asian University, and Valley of Words (VoW), in association with Sahitya Akademi, are organising this festival along with the support of India’s World Magazine, Austrian Cultural Forum–Delhi, National Economic Forum, and the South Asia Solidarity Foundation.”
The South Asian University (SAU), established in 2011 by the eight member nations of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), is an international institution dedicated to promoting knowledge without borders. Through its Institute of South Asian Studies, SAU seeks to deepen the understanding of South Asia’s diverse heritage, contemporary challenges, and shared aspirations.
