Arunachal Literature and Arts Festival (ALAF) celebrates a confluence of artists and cultures from across India

ALAF, supported by the Department of Tourism, Government of Arunachal Pradesh, in its second edition brings together diverse flavours of art forms from across the country. The festival hosts poets, writers, artists, journalists, and thespian stalwarts, and events will be buzzing from 8-10th November (2019) at IG Park Itanagar.

The festival is organized under the leadership of young creative minds from the State, Pinky Veo, Karry Padu, and Shushant Jha. One of the unique aspects of the festival this year is hosting the celebrated theatre personality Danish Iqbal, who will be performing an evening of romantic Urdu poetry, which will be a rare event in the State. 

The festival will also host Teresa Rehman, an award-winning journalist based in Northeast India, who has been awarded the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award for two consecutive years (2008-09 and 2009-10), Dr. Namrata Pathak, North-Eastern Hill University, Tura, Meghalaya, artist Anungla Zoe Longkumer from Nagaland, poet and translator Somrita Urni Ganguly from Kolkata, poet and curator Madhu Raghavendra, and Raphael Warjri, a eminent painting and filmmaking based in Shillong.

ALAF will also be home this year to the music of Baba Phu Ning Ding and ‘Bottle Rockets India’ from Assam. Celebrated literature stalwarts from the State like Sahitya Akademi awardee Mamang Dai will be a part of the festival, along with others like Tumbom Riba Lily and Rinzi Choden. Riken Ngomle, a well-known theatre artists from Arunachal will also be a featured guest in the festival. 

ALAF in collaboration with Walking BookFairs, an award winning bookstore, who have toured over 20 States and reached thousands of people, will endeavour to make books more accessible by bringing the best books and biggest discounts ever.

The festival aims to bring together local and artists from other parts of the country so that there is co-learning, knowledge and experience sharing in the art space. The festival curators feel such an initiative that hosts a confluence of art forms for the people will open doors to creativity and self-awareness for many aspiring artists in Arunachal Pradesh.