1st Sikkim Literature Festival begins

GANGTOK,  (IPR): The inaugural edition of ‘Sikkim Literature Festival: Stories – Past, Present, Futures’commenced today at Manan Bhavan here.

The festival is being organised by State Central Library under Culture department, Government of Sikkim as part of the 10-day Kuzu Cultural Festival being held in the capital.

The literature festival was formally inaugurated by Culture minister G.T Dhungel, who attended the event as chief guest.

He was joined by Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha) Indra Hang Subba and School Education secretary Tshewang Gyatso Bhutia as guests of honour, along with Culture secretary B.K. Lama, and chief engineer-cum-State nodal officer for Kuzu Cultural Festival, Rimp Dorjee Lepcha.

In his keynote address, chief guest Dhungel commended the successful organisation of the Sikkim Literature Festival and lauded the Culture department for creating a vibrant literary platform.

Highlighting the evolution of access to literature, he remarked that the days of searching far and wide for books were now in the past, and that the present generation had the world of literature at their fingertips.

He encouraged young people to make the most of digital resources and to steer clear of negativity, emphasising that platforms like the literature festival played a vital role in shaping thoughtful and informed individuals.

He further stated that the festival aligned with the broader vision of the state government under the leadership of the Chief Minister, who envisioned a “Sunaulo, Samriddhaani Samarth Sikkim” – a golden, content, and empowered era for the state.

The occasion also marked the launch of the Online Library Management System, a transformative initiative by the State Central Library aimed at enhancing citizens’ access to literature beyond physical boundaries.

Librarian Karma Donka Bhutia provided a walkthrough of the literary event and outlined the sessions scheduled over the two-day festival.

Today’s proceedings featured a rich array of literary sessions, including The Publishing World, Wonderland: Stories, Culture & Heritage for Children, The Languages of Sikkim, and Poems of the First Buddhist Women, each offering diverse insights into the world of storytelling, cultural heritage, and literary expression.

The day’s event also featured fun, interactive sessions for children aged 8 to 12 year at the Children’s Library, at Manan Bhavan. 

The inaugural programme was also attended by curators of the literary event, Mary Therese Kurkalang and Raman Shresta, publishers, speakers, authors, moderators, poets, student groups, librarians, representatives from the World Wildlife Fund India and the Birds and Bees Talk, officials of various departments and staff of Culture department.