Bengaluru Poetry Festival returns for 10th edition this August
- Tenth edition of Bengaluru Poetry Festival announced
- Event scheduled for August in the city
- Line-up includes poets from India and abroad
The Bengaluru Poetry Festival will return for its tenth edition this August, organisers confirmed on Wednesday. The two-day event will bring together poets, writers and performers from across India and several other countries.
Festival dates and venue
The festival is scheduled to take place on August 8 and 9. The venue has not been officially named yet, but organisers said it will be held at a central location in Bengaluru.
Past editions of the festival have been hosted at venues such as the Indian Institute of World Culture and the Bangalore International Centre. The organisers are expected to finalise the location in the coming weeks.
Line-up and themes
The line-up will feature established names in Indian poetry as well as emerging voices. Poets from the United Kingdom, the United States and several Southeast Asian nations are also expected to participate.
Sessions will cover a range of themes — from climate change and identity to love and loss. The organisers have planned panel discussions, open mic sessions and workshops for aspiring poets.
Translations will be a key focus this year, with dedicated sessions on bringing poetry from Indian languages into English and vice versa.
A decade of verse
The first edition of the Bengaluru Poetry Festival was held in 2016. Since then, it has grown from a small gathering of poetry enthusiasts to one of the city's prominent literary events.
Organisers said the tenth edition will include a retrospective segment highlighting memorable moments and performances from the past nine years. A commemorative anthology is also being planned.
Ticket details are yet to be announced. The organisers said they will release registration information on the festival's website and social media channels by the end of this month.
Bengaluru, often called India's publishing and literary hub, has a vibrant poetry scene with regular readings and slams across the city. The festival aims to build on that energy and attract new audiences.
What to watch: The organisers are expected to announce the full line-up and venue by early August. Poetry lovers will be watching to see which international names make the final list.