Manorama Hortus, a multidisciplinary event celebrating arts and literature, is all set to kickstart its second edition in Kochi from November 27 to 30, following its debut last year in Kozhikode.
At a press conference held in Kochi today, author and festival director of Manorama Hortus N.S. Madhavan, while talking about the city hosting the event, emphasised on Kochi’s rich literary history.
Kochi Municipal Corporation Mayor M. Anil Kumar, meanwhile, said, “I would like to see more and more editions of Hortus happening in Kochi.”
THE WEEK Editor Philip Mathew and Malayala Manorama Editorial Director Jose Panachippuram, too, were present.
Manorama Hortus aims to shed light on various forms of artistic expression through conversations, performances, and workshops. On these four days, 225 sessions will be held at Subhash Park and Rajendra Maidan, while the live performances will take place at the Durbar Hall Ground.
Actor Mammootty will attend the inauguration ceremony. Kerala Minister for Industries, Law and Coir P. Rajeeve and Columbian author Pilar Quintana, too, will attend it along with M. Anil Kumar and Madhavan.
Writer R.S. Binuraj will be presented the best novel award instituted by Malayala Manorama as part of the Hortus Art and Literature Festival and Rs 3 lakh, for his work, ‘Chrisanthamodyanathile Aparan’ (The stranger in the Chrysanthemum garden).
Actor Mohanlal, meanwhile, will be present for the concluding ceremony. There will also be a musical programme to honour legendary singer K.J. Yesudas.
Personalities from across the country and abroad such as Ali Fazal, Azeem Banatwalla, D.Y. Chandrachud, Yann Martel, M.A. Yusuf Ali, Prakash Raj, among others, will be part of the event.
Apart from panel discussions and live performances, there will be workshops and special programmes. The workshop on theatre by actor Roshan Mathew and a special programme about food called "Chef’s Studio" are some of the highlights of the event.
There will be two types of registration for the event: standard registration, which will allow the visitors to access all sessions held at Subhash Park and Rajendra Maidan, though some workshops are paid, and premium registration, which includes access to the performances at the Durbar Hall Ground for Rs 1,000.
