Keerthana S

Thiruvananthapuram: The seventh edition of the Mathrubhumi International Festival of Letters (MBIFL 2026) delved into the complexities of human connections with a session titled “The Paradox in Relationships”. The panel featured writers Latha Balasubramanian, Arundhati Ghosh and Milan Dalwani Vohra, and the session was moderated by Ponnu Elizabeth Mathew. The discussion explored love as lived experience, rather than a fairytale.

About 75 per cent of India’s total rainfall comes from the southwest monsoon rainfall, making it essential for agriculture, the economy, and water security. Given that nearly half of India’s agriculture depends on rainfed agriculture, the timing and the progression of the monsoon are critical. An early or delayed monsoon can affect crop yields. This year, the southwest monsoon arrived early in Kerala on 24 May 2025, eight days before the usual date of 1 June, marking its earliest onset since 2009.

The sixth edition of the Mathrubhumi International Festival of Letters (MBIFL) 2025 hosted a mesmerizing session on 'The Creative Retelling of Epics', featuring two literary luminaries: Amish Tripathi, celebrated author of the Shiva Trilogy, and Saraswathy Nagarajan, an esteemed journalist and writer. The session was nothing short of spellbinding. A large and eager crowd gathered to immerse themselves in the timeless magic of ancient narratives, reimagined for the modern reader.