Kanpur: The IIT Kanpur will host the fifth edition of Akshar – An IIT Kanpur Literary Festival from October 29 to 31, celebrating Indian literature, music, theatre, dance and folk art.Organised by the Shivani Centre for the Nurture and Re-Integration of Hindi and Other Indian Languages and the Rajbhasha Prakoshth, the festival aims to promote Indian languages, encourage creative expression and celebrate the country’s diverse cultural traditions.Established in 2022, Akshar has featured more than 400 artists across four editions, including poets, writers, actors and musicians. Past participants include Dr Pushpesh Pant, Dr Mrinal Pande, filmmaker R Balki, Padma Shri awardee Dr Soma Ghosh, Waseem Barelvi, Meghna Malik and Mohd Vakil. The festival will also feature a book fair showcasing classical and contemporary literature from leading publishers.The three-day programme will include literary discussions, open-mic sessions, music, theatre, dance and poetry performances. Events on October 29 and 30 will be held at the Outreach Auditorium from 3 pm to 9 pm, while the concluding day’s programme will take place at the Open Air Theatre from 3.30 pm onwards.
