Actor and social activist Prakash Raj speaks during the valedictory function of the Kerala Legislature International Book Festival (KLIBF) in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday.
| Photo Credit: NIRMAL HARINDRAN
Actor and social activist Prakash Raj interacting with Kerala Assembly Speaker A.N. Shamseer during the valedictory function of the Kerala Legislature International Book Festival (KLIBF) in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday.
| Photo Credit:
NIRMAL HARINDRAN
Actor Prakash Raj on Monday said it was “heart-warming and reassuring” to see a State Legislature and a State government organising a book festival when legislatures in the country are often associated with dethroning governments, fighting, and scams.
Mr. Prakash Raj was inaugurating the valedictory session of the 2025 edition of the Kerala Legislature International Book Festival (KLIBF 2025) organised by the Kerala Legislative Assembly. Describing the KLIBF as “very, very unique,” he said: “especially in a country where we have a leader who has no degree, to have a book festival in a Legislative council means a great amount of dissent to me.”
It was heartening to see a State Legislature understand the importance of literature, books, conversations, debates, resilience and dissent and provide a space for such a discourse. A State Assembly organising a book festival “means a lot in the context of the authoritarian government that we are facing,” he said.
To open a society and the next generation to books was the right kind of education and exposure, Mr. Prakash Raj said.
Speaker A.N. Shamseer said the Legislative Assembly had launched efforts to get Thiruvananthapuram included in UNESCO’s World Book Capital programme in the context of the KLIBF. Presiding over the valedictory function, he recalled that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, while inaugurating KLIBF 2025 on January 7, had suggested that the Assembly take the initiative in this regard.
Three lakh visitors
Mr. Shamseer termed the third edition of KLIBF a grand success and an improvement on the previous two editions. Around three lakh people visited the book fest over the seven days. The fest featured 166 publishers and nearly 266 stalls. Talks, debates, meet-the-author events and book launches also were held as part of the event. The fourth edition of KLIBF will be held from January 7 to January 13 in 2026, he added.
Bridges
Sri Lankan author V.V. Pathmaseeli, who was chief guest at the valedictory session, said the KLIBF celebrated the power of literature, ideas and human creativity. Books had always been more than just printed pages. They formed bridges between generations, cultures and ideas, she said.
Ministers Ramachandran Kadannappally, V. Sivankutty and K.N. Balagopal; P.C. Vishnunadh MLA; Deputy Speaker Chittayam Gopakumar; district panchayat president D. Suresh Kumar; and Assembly secretary N. Krishnakumar were present.
Published – January 13, 2025 10:41 pm IST