Founded in 2010 and now one of India’s major literary events, the Hyderabad Literary Festival hosts prominent creative artists from all across India and the rest of the globe. Featured are writers, poets, playwrights, dancers, filmmakers, actors, and musicians. Readers at the 2012 HLF included poets Kazim Ali and Prageeta Sharma, writer Meena Alexander, and Oscar-winning lyricist Gulzar.

The 2013 Festival will be a multi-lingual event that will take place from January 18–20 in Hyderabad, an industrial technology hub and one of south India’s largest cities. Hyderabad is home to several universities and defense and research institutions, and the festival serves to promote individual writers but also to show off the city as a significant literary center for India. The HLF organizers are still receiving confirmations from writers, and though a list of participants has yet to be released, it is expected be larger and more impressive than in years past. Each year, the Festival names a “Guest Nation” and encourages that nation’s writers to come and participate. France will be the 2013 Guest Nation.

Events at the Festival include readings, panels, opportunities to meet writers and celebrities, book fairs, tours of Hyderabad’s historical sites, and more. Admission is free! To learn more about the upcoming Hyderabad Literary Festival, to register, and just to check for updates, visit http://www.hyderabadliteraryfestival.com.