Indigenous and Endangered Languages

Hyderabad Literary Festival (HLF) is inaugurating a new stream in its 2024 edition, “Indigenous and Endangered Languages”. This is in alignment with the United Nations which has declared 2022-2032 “International Decade of Indigenous Languages”. Optimistic estimates suggest that at least 50 percent of today’s spoken languages will be extinct or seriously endangered by 2100. Most of these are Indigenous languages.

At HLF over a dozen Indigenous poets, storytellers, writers, artists, folklorists, and researchers are participating this year. From children’s stories to panel discussions by experts, to a workshop and exhibition on Gondi art, this promises to be a vibrant stream. Some of the Indigenous languages represented are the Great Andamanese Languages, Gondi, Kui, Oraon, and Santhali. Come and celebrate India’s little known linguistic diversity!

HLF is organized every year in the month of January. Started in 2010, the multi-genre, multidiscipline, and multilingual festival features more than 150 speakers each year. These include authors, artistes, academics, and publishers from India and abroad. The festival attracts a large and discerning audience of over 20,000 and receives excellent media coverage. (More at hydlitfest.org)

HLF is organized by the ‘Hyderabad Literary Trust’, a non-profit organization, with the support of several literary and cultural organizations, and publishing houses. The three-day event comprises conversations with authors, readings, panel discussions, exhibitions, screenings, workshops, and cultural programmes—making it a Festival for All.