The Students from the Department of English of Carmel College of Arts, Science and Commerce for Women, Nuvem-Goa, consisting of third year students: Lysha Fernandes, Agnes Misquita, Joanna Fernandes, Analee Fernandes, Bhakti Pallikar, Deepa Melinmani and Nikita Nagar and second year students: Ann Fernandes, Sohni Mahatme, Shanely Menezes, Joselyn Roy Thayil and Ambika Morajkar accompanied by faculty members Ms. Roxana Singh and Dr. Glenis Mendonca, attended the Kerala Literature Festival – Asia’s largest literary festival that took place between from 22nd to 25th January 2026. This festival served as a platform for the students to dive into the world of literature and beyond.
The 9th annual KLF festival held at the Kozhikode beach brought together writers, translators, artists, scientists, intellectuals and speakers from all over the world. For the students of Carmel College this Festival was a portal to academic and cultural exposure, allowing them to personally interact with various renowned personalities and engage in dialogues that allowed them to broaden their horizons.
Veteran NASA astronaut Sunita Williams, was the guest of honour at the festival and the students had the privilege to attend her interactive discussion titled “Once Upon A Time…In Space” where Sunita Williams shared her experiences of her latest trip to space and the life of an astronaut. Williams’ journey as a girl from a middle-class family to a woman in space left a deep impression in the hearts of the students.
The students had the opportunity to converse with various other prominent figures, such as journalist Anjana Sankar who presented her session on the life of Afghan women under the Taliban, through this interaction the students got to learn about the atrocities faced by women in Afghanistan. Prakash Raj the veteran actor presented a heartfelt memoir on his life as an actor. The interaction with Satoshi Yagisawa, the Japanese author of the famous “More Days at the Morisaki Bookshop,” introduced the students to global literary perspectives and gave them a chance to explore cultures beyond the subcontinent. During the book signing event Dr. Shashi Tharoor took time to personally interact with the students, answering their questions with great enthusiasm and encouraged them by affirming that it is the youth that will carry the nation forward.
The Kerala Literature festival was not just about listening to eminent speakers, it was a platform for the students to put to test their critical thinking skills, encouraged questioning and intellectual curiosity. This experience helped them explore literature in all its manifestations.