With a call to uphold the freedom of writers, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurated the first Mathrubhumi International Festival of Letters 2018. 

The chief minister said that never before had India been in such dark times when the lives of many free thinkers were lost in the cause. He said the primary aim of any literary festival should be to maintain freedom of writing and that the event would provide a source of direction for writers of the new generation. He urged the literary society to rise and raise the spirits of the like-minded. The chief minister made time in his schedule in spite of budget presentation at the legislative assembly today. 

In a rousing speech, Chairman and Managing Director of Mathrubhumi M.P. Veerendra Kumar said that the presence of writers from around the world was adding strength to the conglomeration making it a revolution in itself. Joint Managing Director of Mathrubhumi M.V. Shreyams Kumar credited Thiruvanathapuram Member of Parliament and writer Shashi Tharoor with initiating the idea of such a festival.

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Photo: KL Lakshmi

Tharoor said that after the success of The Hay Festival in the capital in 2011 it was Mathrubhumi that took up the challenge of organising a literary festival of such magnitude in his constituency.

Poet and green activist Sugatha Kumari, affectionately known as teacher, kept her speech short owing to ill-health but invigorated the audience by reciting a poem that was a plea to save Mother Earth. 

Mathrubhumi Executive Editor P.I. Rajeev delivered the vote of thanks. Also present on stage was Managing Editor P.V .Chandran. The chief minister gave away prizes to the winners of the short story competition. Anto Sabin Joseph won the first place, taking home a cash prize of Rs. 2 lakh while second prize went to Sunu A.V. who won the second prize of Rs. 1 lakh and third prize winner Vishu S. won Rs.75000. The winners were also given a memento and a citation each in recognition of their works.