The Valley of Words (VoW) festival of literature and arts will be held in the virtual format this year from November 20 to 22. VoW2020@Savoy aims to be India’s first-of-its-kind immersive phygital literary experience. The festival’s honourary curator Sanjeev Chopra said, “As a young and nimble organisation, not only has VoW taken the pandemic in its stride, but has emerged stronger, more focused and more inclusive than before. VoW has been able to transcend the limitations of time and space by connecting with authors and audiences across the globe, and ensuring that all interactions are archived forever.”
The festival will comprise four virtual stages which will digitally host over 200 authors, poets, publishers, and thought-leaders from around the world. The inaugural address ‘From Triumph to Triumph: Transcending the Pandemic’ will be delivered by Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan The book The Savoy written by Ruskin Bond and Ganesh Saili will also be launched live on the occasion. The keynote address will be delivered by Union Minister Jitendra Singh. The book Life and Culture in Northeast India by Shiv KunalVerma and Dipti BhallaVerma will also be launched on the occasion. The festival will also feature the plenary address and conversation on ‘Text and Context’ by the governor of Kerala, Arif Mohammad Khan. The event will consist of four verticals-English Literature, Hindi Sahitya, RS Tolia Forum of Ecology and Governance, and Military History and Strategy; collaborations with the French Embassy and JCB Prize for Literature.
The PFC-VoW Book Awards 2020 in all seven categories- English Fiction, Non-fiction, and Translations from Regional Languages; Hindi Fiction, Non-fiction, and Translations from Regional Languages; and Writings for Young Adults (Bilingual) will also be announced during the festival. It will also include four pan-Indian debates: bilingual VoW-KV and JNV inter-school debate, bilingual VoW-Mantrana inter-college debate, the unprecedented Sanskrit VoW-Maharshi Valmik Vishwavidyalaya inter-university vaad-vivaad pratiyogita, Parliamentary debate VoxPopuli with MPs from across the political spectrum which this year is a tribute to the late DP Tripathi, a key mentor and supporter of VoW.
There will also be cultural programmes featuring music and poetry. The valedictory address will be delivered by Union Education minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’.
Thursday, 19 November 2020 | PNS | Dehradun
