Amaravati Literature Fest celebrates power of stories

Amaravati: “Every person who walks into my office comes with a story,” reflecting on his experience as an administrator, Guntur collector C M Saikanth Varma made the observation at the inaugural session of the second edition of the Amaravati Literature Festival (ALF) 2026 at SRM University–AP here on Wednesday.

Hosted by the Easwari School of Liberal Arts (ESLA), SRM University–AP, the three-day festival brings together writers, scholars, translators, educators, cultural practitioners and young minds to discuss literature and changing times.

Speaking at the inaugural, Saikanth Varma highlighted Amaravati’s rich history, observing that the region had been telling stories for more than 2,000 years through its heritage, sculptures and cultural traditions. He recalled the contributions of writers such as Gurajada Apparao and Unnava Lakshmi Narayana, whose works questioned social realities and contributed to social change.

Drawing parallels between administration and storytelling, he said government documents, orders and even people approaching an administrator carried stories of their own. The responsibility of an administrator, he added, was to work towards giving those stories a positive ending.

Tejaswi Podapati, chairperson of the State Creativity and Culture Commission, said SRM University–AP was promoting culture alongside technology and emphasised the enduring power of words, books, imagination and human connection.

SRM University–AP Vice-Chancellor Prof. Ch. Satish Kumar announced that the festival would introduce two literary awards from its next edition—one at the national level and another for contributions to Telugu literature.

Keynote speaker Mini Krishnan, noted editor and literary translator, highlighted the role of literature and translation in preserving memory, heritage and diverse cultural experiences. She also stressed the importance of human mentorship, emotions and critical thinking in an age increasingly influenced by artificial intelligence.

The first day featured interactions with writers, translators, publishers, artists and folklorists, including Purnima Tammireddy, Avineni Bhaskar, Madan Meena and Sheela Tomy.

The festival also featured book, stationery and book-exchange stalls and various literary and creative activities, reinforcing its larger objective of making Amaravati a vibrant space for cultural dialogue and storytelling.

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The Hans India