ALF 25 Celebrates Art and Culture with ‘Kotha Nagaram, Kotha Sravalu’ ThemeALF 25 Celebrates Art and Culture with ‘Kotha Nagaram, Kotha Sravalu’ Theme

VIJAYAWADA: The Easwari School of Liberal Arts, SRM University-AP, opened the first Amaravati Literature Festival (ALF) 2025 on Thursday, bringing together writers, poets and artists from across the country under the tagline Kotha Nagaram, Kotha Sravalu (New City, New Voices).

Sahitya Akademi Award-winning Telugu author and poet Volga (P Lalita Kumari) was the Guest of Honour and launched the three-day festival celebrating diverse voices, ideas, identities and dialogues in literature.

Dean of the Easwari School of Liberal Arts Prof. Vishnupad welcomed participants, stressing that ALF would give Amaravati its first literary heartbeat.

“Literature provides intellectual ability, emotional stability and an ethical orientation to find your own voice. Through ALF, we celebrate every story that shapes society and builds a nation,” he said.

In his address, Vice-Chancellor (V-C) (in charge) Prof Ch Satish underlined literature’s role in preserving culture.

In her keynote, Volga said literary festivals were “true festivals that celebrate the whole country and the whole world—across languages, communities, races and classes.” She said Indian literature, though written in many languages, was one, resonating with universal emotions of love, pain and separation. She urged participants to explore Telugu and world literature to appreciate discourse, inculcate values and become voices of change.

The inaugural day also featured panel discussions with acclaimed writers P Satyavathi, Manisha Sobhrajani, Pavan Santosh and Millo Ankha.