Javed Akhtar to receive first SOA Sahitya Samman at Literary Festival in Bhubaneswar

Bhubaneswar, Nov 28: Over 100 eminent poets, writers, novelists, translators, thinkers, and theatre and media personalities from across India are set to gather at Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan (SOA) Deemed to be University for the two-day 3rd SOA Literary Festival, beginning this Saturday. The festival, themed ‘Culture, Creativity and Artificial Intelligence’, promises engaging discussions, cultural exchanges, and literary celebrations.

The festival will be inaugurated by Odisha Governor Dr. Hari Babu Kambhampati, in the presence of Padma Bhushan Javed Akhtar, the legendary poet, lyricist, scriptwriter, and social thinker. The SOA Sahitya Samman, introduced this year, will be conferred upon Akhtar during the inaugural ceremony in recognition of his lifelong contributions to Indian cinema and literature. The award carries a cash prize of Rs. 7 lakh, a citation, a shawl, and a silver idol of Goddess Saraswati. Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi will grace the festival on Sunday.

The inaugural session, presided over by SOA Vice-Chancellor Prof. Pradipta Kumar Nanda, will also feature Dr. K. Sreenivasarao, former Secretary of Sahitya Akademi, and Saswati Das, Vice-President of SOA, as guests of honour. Dr. Gayatribala Panda, Head of SOA Centre for Preservation, Propagation and Restoration of Ancient Culture and Heritage of India (PPRACHIN), will welcome participants.

The festival will also present the SOA Yuva Sahitya Puraskar to young writer Suryasnata Tripathy for his short story collection ‘Thia Puchi Naranga’. The sessions will cover topics such as AI in Art, Literature and Cinema, Future of Publishing, Tribal Culture Preservation, Translation, Ethics in AI Creativity, and the Evolution of Storytelling, offering a rich platform for dialogue between tradition and modernity.