Over the last fourteen years, the Kalinga Literary Festival (KLF) has grown into a leading South Asian cultural platform, celebrating diverse languages, traditions, and creative voices. While rooted in India’s civilizational imagination, KLF looks beyond geographical boundaries to nurture global cross-cultural conversations.
Nepal holds a special place in this journey. Since 2022, KLF has built a sustained engagement with the Nepali creative community. KLF Bhubaneswar has hosted dedicated sessions on Nepali literature, while Nepali writers and thinkers have been honored at KLF India, strengthening high-quality intellectual exchange between both nations.
The Kathmandu Kalinga International Literary Festival represents the culmination of this shared journey. Now marking its fifth year, this two-day cultural melting pot brings together young and seasoned voices from Nepal with scholars and intellectuals from India and beyond. The forthcoming edition will be held in Kathmandu on June 6–7, 2026.
As Kathmandu emerges as a global cultural hub, KLF aims to boost its visibility internationally and among the South Asian diaspora. This year, guests from places like Dubai and London will attend, reflecting the city’s rising appeal for literature, spirituality, and dialogue. The festival has also inspired deeper academic interest in Nepal among Indian scholars, such as Dr Adyasha Das’s work on Nepal's Yoginis and Goswami Anam Charan Dash’s research on the Shaligram connection with Jagannath Puri.
Against this backdrop, KLF Founder Rashmi Ranjan Parida spoke with Nepalkhabar about the festival's evolution and its roots in the ancient Kalinga–Kathmandu connection. He praises the dynamic local team led by Ranjana Niraula for giving the festival its true soul and local resonance. Furthermore, Parida reflects on the deep respect Nepali thinkers and writers command in India, bringing warmth and a sense of shared heritage to international audiences. Excerpts:
Kathmandu and Kalinga both carry deep civilizational histories. How do you see literature becoming a bridge between South Asia’s shared past and its increasingly fragmented present?
Literature is one of the most powerful ways through which civilizations remember themselves. Long before formal histories were written, people preserved memory through songs, oral traditions, myths, poetry, epics, temple narratives, folklore and storytelling. In South Asia, literature has always carried not only imagination, but also philosophy, spirituality, ethics and collective memory.
Kathmandu and Kalinga represent two deeply civilizational spaces within the larger cultural geography of South Asia. They remind us that before modern political borders, there were older routes of pilgrimage, trade, learning, spirituality, artistic exchange and literary imagination. Nepal and India have shared many such connections through long-standing traditions, languages, festivals, sacred geography, and people-to-people contact.
In today’s world, when societies are often fragmented by politics, conflict and misunderstanding, literature allows us to return to a deeper sense of shared humanity. It does not erase differences; it helps us understand them with respect. That is why we believe literary festivals like Kalinga Literary Festival in India and Kathmandu Kalinga International Literary Festival in Nepal can play a small but meaningful role in strengthening cultural dialogue between the two nations and across South Asia.
This year’s theme is “Beyond Borders.” In a world increasingly divided by politics, nationalism and conflict, can literature still create meaningful cross-border empathy in South Asia?
Yes, very much. Literature speaks to the human heart before it speaks to political identity. A poem written in Kathmandu can move a reader in Bhubaneswar, Delhi, London or Dubai. A story from India can deeply touch a reader in Nepal because emotions such as love, memory, grief, longing, hope, devotion, migration and identity are universal.
The theme “Beyond Borders” is therefore very meaningful. It does not mean ignoring national identities. Rather, it means recognizing that culture, compassion and creativity can travel beyond borders. In South Asia, we have inherited a shared civilizational space where stories, gods and goddesses, saints, poets, pilgrims, musicians and seekers have moved across regions for centuries.
Literature creates what I would call emotional diplomacy. It allows people to listen to each other without fear. It humanizes the “other.” At a time when public discourse is often sharp and divided, literature gives us a softer, wiser and more patient language of understanding. That is the spirit behind Kathmandu Kalinga International Literary Festival.
The festival brings together literature, cinema, music, spirituality and public discourse under one platform. Do you believe the future of literary festivals lies in becoming broader cultural conversations rather than purely book-centric events?
I believe literature has never been limited only to books. Books are very important, but literature also lives in music, cinema, theatre, oral traditions, folk songs, rituals, spirituality, memory and everyday human experience. In South Asia especially, many of our greatest stories have traveled through performance, recitation, temple traditions, family storytelling and community memory.
Therefore, the future of literary festivals lies in becoming wider cultural platforms. A literary festival must celebrate books, but it must also create dialogue among writers, poets, translators, artists, filmmakers, musicians, scholars, spiritual thinkers, young creators and readers. This is how literature becomes alive.
Kalinga Literary Festival has tried to follow this broader vision for the last 14 years. We see literature as a living cultural force. In Kathmandu also, our effort is to bring together diverse voices from Nepal, India, South Asia and the global diaspora so that the festival becomes not only a space of discussion, but also a space of learning, friendship and cultural imagination.
Migration, identity, inclusivity, climate anxiety and spirituality are major themes this year. Why do you think South Asian literature is uniquely positioned to speak about these global crises?
South Asian literature has a special strength because it comes from societies that have lived with diversity, migration, spirituality, ecological consciousness, memory and community life for thousands of years. Our literature is not only about individual experience; it is also about family, society, nature, faith, justice, belonging and the search for meaning.
At the same time, the core spirit of Kathmandu Kalinga International Literary Festival is to explore the shared cultural and civilizational relationship between Nepal and India. Through literature, poetry, cinema, music, spirituality, philosophy and public dialogue, we are trying to understand how our shared heritage can help us respond to contemporary challenges.
Young people today are facing questions of identity, migration, ambition and cultural roots. Communities are facing climate anxiety and social change. In such times, South Asian literature can offer both realism and wisdom. It can speak about pain, but also about resilience. It can speak about crisis, but also about compassion. This is why Nepali and Indian literary voices have an important role in shaping global conversations.
Kathmandu has long been seen as a meeting point of philosophy, spirituality and culture. What makes Kathmandu a meaningful home for an international literary festival like this?
Kathmandu has a very special soul. It is not just a city; it is a civilizational experience. Its temples, stupas, courtyards, festivals, music, art, sacred geography and living traditions create a natural environment for reflection and dialogue. Kathmandu has always been a meeting point of spirituality, philosophy, culture and creativity.
For an international literary festival, the host city matters most. A festival needs more than halls and sessions. It needs atmosphere, memory, warmth and cultural depth. Kathmandu offers all of this. It carries the energy of the Himalayas, the wisdom of ancient traditions and the openness of a city that has welcomed seekers, scholars, artists and travellers for generations.
Through Kathmandu Kalinga International Literary Festival, we are making a small and humble effort to contribute to Kathmandu’s emergence as a regional and global cultural and literary hub. This year, with participants also coming from places such as Dubai and London, we are happy to see Kathmandu attracting wider interest among South Asian and global cultural communities.
At a time when social media is changing how people consume stories and ideas, what role do literary festivals still play in shaping serious public discourse?
Social media has changed the speed and form of communication, but it has not removed the human need for depth. Today people read on phones, listen to podcasts, watch short videos and engage with ideas through digital platforms. These are important changes. But serious reflection requires time, attention and human presence.
Literary festivals provide that space. They allow people to listen deeply, ask questions, disagree respectfully and engage with ideas beyond algorithms and headlines. Social media often creates instant reactions. Literary festivals create thoughtful discourse.
In that sense, festivals are becoming more important, not less. They help protect the culture of dialogue. They bring together generations. They allow young readers to meet authors, emerging writers to find encouragement, and societies to reflect on who they are and where they are going. In South Asia, where oral dialogue and public discourse are part of our cultural heritage, literary festivals can play a very meaningful role in strengthening democratic and cultural imagination.
Nepal has a rich oral and multilingual storytelling tradition. What possibilities do you see for Nepali literature and voices on the global literary stage through festivals like this?
Nepal has an extraordinary literary and cultural richness. Its oral traditions, multilingual expressions, poetry, folklore, spiritual narratives, mountain imagination, community memory and philosophical depth are of great value not only to South Asia, but to the world. Nepali literature carries a distinctive voice: rooted, sensitive, spiritual, courageous and deeply human.
Festivals like Kathmandu Kalinga International Literary Festival can help create a link between Nepali writers, poets, translators, scholars and artists to reach wider audiences. Translation is especially important. Many powerful literary voices remain limited because they are not translated into other South Asian and global languages. We must encourage more translation between Nepali, Hindi, Odia, English and other languages.
Over the last five years of our active engagement with Nepal’s literary community, we have seen growing interest in collaboration. We have also included dedicated sessions on Nepali culture, literature and language at KLF Bhubaneswar in India. We have honored Nepali writers and thinkers at our India festival as well. This two-way engagement is very important. It is not about one side presenting to the other. It is about learning together.
Many young people today are struggling with identity, migration, ambition and cultural roots. Do you think contemporary literature is adequately capturing this generation’s emotional reality?
Contemporary literature is beginning to capture this reality, but much more needs to be written. Young people today are living with many pressures. They are connected to the world digitally, but many feel emotionally lonely. They are ambitious, but also searching for belonging. They want modern opportunities, but they also want cultural rootedness. They migrate for education and work, but they carry memories of home.
Literature can give language to these silent emotions. It can help young people understand that their confusion is not weakness; it is part of living through a changing world. Good literature does not provide easy answers, but it helps us ask better questions.
As literary festival organizers, we have a responsibility to give space to young writers and emerging voices. We must listen to them seriously. The future of literature in South Asia will be shaped not only by established authors, but also by young and promising poets, translators, digital storytellers, regional writers, women writers and first-generation literary voices.
KLF has completed a long journey in India and has now built a strong engagement with Nepal. How do you see this 14-year legacy and the five-year Nepal journey?
Kalinga Literary Festival has been a humble but committed 14-year journey. From its beginnings in India, it has grown into one of the respected literary and cultural platforms of India and South Asia. Our effort has always been to celebrate diversity, literature, language, ideas and civilizational dialogue.
Our engagement with Nepal began with deep respect. Since 2022, we have had five years of active engagement with the Nepali literary and cultural community. Kathmandu Kalinga International Literary Festival has grown because of the warmth, support and intellectual energy of Nepal’s writers, artists, scholars, readers and cultural leaders.
We are very clear that Kathmandu KLF must be rooted in Nepal. It is managed and led by a dynamic Nepali team under the leadership of Ranjana Niraula. That local leadership is very important. KLF India and Kathmandu KLF are connected by shared values, but Kathmandu KLF must reflect Nepal’s own cultural voice, literary strength and global aspiration.
The festival has inspired books and research on Nepal–India cultural connections. How do you see this as an impact of KLF?
For us, the real success of a literary festival is not only in the number of sessions or speakers. Its deeper impact lies in the conversations, collaborations, books, translations and friendships it generates.
We are happy that KLF’s engagement with Nepal has encouraged deeper interest in Nepali culture, history and spirituality among Indian scholars and writers. Dr Adyasha Das’s book Yoginis of Nepal: A Journey Through Sacred Landscapes is a beautiful example of how an Odia cultural and heritage scholar has engaged seriously with Nepal’s sacred landscape and spiritual traditions.
Similarly, The Shaligram Stories: From Nepal to Jagannath Puri, based on the writings of Goswami Anam Charan Dash and being translated and developed further with Kamala Kanta Dash, reflects another important cultural bridge. The Shaligram connection links Nepal’s sacred geography with the devotional traditions of India, including Jagannath Puri. These are not just books; they are examples of living civilizational dialogue.
Such works show that literary festivals can inspire research, devotion, scholarship and creative writing. This is the kind of long-term cultural impact we hope to encourage.
Kathmandu is being promoted as a regional and global literary hub. What is KLF’s vision in this regard?
Our vision is very humble. We do not claim to transform anything overnight. But we do believe that Kathmandu has all the qualities required to become one of South Asia’s most meaningful cultural and literary hubs. It has history, spirituality, natural beauty, intellectual depth, artistic traditions and a strong literary community.
Kathmandu also has a special appeal for the South Asian diaspora. People from India, Nepal and other parts of the world feel emotionally connected to this city. This year, we are seeing participants and friends coming from places like Dubai and London to attend the festival. This gives us hope that Kathmandu KLF can become a meeting point for writers, thinkers, artists and readers from Nepal, India, South Asia and the global diaspora.
Our larger vision is to support Kathmandu’s rise as a city of literature, culture, dialogue and civilizational imagination. If KLF can make even a small contribution to that journey, we will feel grateful.
If you had to define the core purpose of the Kathmandu Kalinga International Literary Festival in one sentence beyond books and panel discussions, what would it be?
The core purpose of Kathmandu Kalinga International Literary Festival is to preserve civilizational memory, celebrate Nepal–India cultural friendship, and create a living platform where literature, spirituality, art and ideas can travel beyond borders and generations.
For me personally, literature is not just a profession or an event activity. It is a way of serving society. Individuals come and go by, but words, stories and ideas continue to live. Through literature, we leave behind not only information, but also wisdom, emotion, memory and hope. That is the spirit with which we continue this journey in India and Nepal.
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