Concept Note of alèy 2025 — Waves of Solidarity

​

alèy (ಅಲೆ), wave in Kannada, is a festival that celebrates the word in motion—literature that stirs, disturbs, connects, and resists. alèy believes in the restless power of words — in their ability to carry  literary imagination forward.

​

At alèy, we bring together readers, writers, thinkers, performers, and most importantly, students—to reflect on the tides of thought that shape our lives, and the stories that ripple across geographies and generations. It is a space for conversation, confrontation, and coming together.

​

In times marked by turbulence and growing silences, we ask: what does it mean to read, to write, and to speak from where we are—about freedom, language, identity, memory, and the many ways stories resist forgetting? At its heart, alèy is about recognising the power of the word in times of strife, the solidarity in telling, and the subversion in listening.

​

This year, under the theme “Waves of Solidarity,” our festival hosts a rich lineup of panels, performances, masterclasses, workshops and competitions—each designed to create dialogue, kindle imagination, and honour the sheer possibility of thought.

​

We are joined by Banu Mushtaq, Perumal Murugan, S. Joseph, Arpita Das, V. Geetha, Nisha Abdulla, and a powerful cast of poets, translators, editors, and cultural workers.

 

Together, they form a chorus of voices that challenge and transform.

​

Let’s express, celebrate, deliberate.
Come make a splash!