Sikkim Arts and Literature Festival Returns to Gangtok This October

Gangtok: The Sikkim Arts and Literature Festival hits Gangtok for its second run this fall. The event starts October 28 at Ridge Park and wraps up on October 30. It draws artists, writers, and poets to the city for three days of workshops and performances. The Education Department's Students' Welfare Board and Teamwork Arts run the show. The festival serves as a pet project of Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang.

Big names set to appear include Chuden Kabimo, Mamang Dai, Nawaraj Parajuli, and Ranjit Hoskote. William Dalrymple, Yuvan Aves, Guru T Ladakhi, and Stephen Alter round out the list. The schedule features 'Echoes of Verse' with Dai and Hoskote, plus a 'Kavita Concert' by Parajuli. Kabimo and Alter will join a session titled 'These Hills Called Home'.

Sonam Chopel Sherpa, chairman of the Students' Welfare Board, expects high engagement. "The Sikkim Arts and Literature Festival is an important part of our effort to create meaningful opportunities for the young people of Sikkim to engage with literature, art, culture and ideas," Sherpa said. Local groups Tangible Tangerines and Mind Matters will host sessions for kids and adults. Festival producer Syed Shams Jawaid confirmed all events remain free to the public. Organizers aim to get students involved in questioning and reinterpreting local traditions.