HLF 2025: Uniting storytellers, authors, budding scientists and experts across industries

Hyderabad: The 15th edition of the Hyderabad Literary Fest (HLF), held at Sattva Knowledge City and T-Hub over the weekend, promoted artistic expression through paintings, sketches, sculptures and other forms of visual art. The event also facilitated an open and interactive dialogue between artists and audiences.

Travelling Plants exhibition

The ‘Travelling Plants’ exhibition was put together by Rashmimala, Waylon D’Souza, Wendy Therméa and Karolina Grzywnowicz and brought to HLF by Goethe-Zentrum Hyderabad.

Perhaps the most stunning exhibition this year, Travelling Plants, was curated and commissioned by Max Mueller Bhavan, Chennai. The display of unique plants, leaves, tribal toda embroidery and pictures made this an interesting exhibition.

The project commenced with a residency at L'Institut français de Pondichéry (IFP) where the artists explored all aspects of the herbarium, and were presented with a diverse program of workshops, field trips, a series of lectures and presentations from experts. They were also given the opportunity to interact with in-house researchers, scientists and technicians connected with Social Sciences, Ecology, Indology and Geomatics.

Festival of Democracy by Goethe-Zentrum Hyderabad

Democracy in Germany and India was constituted after a long struggle over many decades. The exhibition was a tribute to the women who participated in the laying of the new nations—Germany’s Mothers of Basic Law and India’s Women Architects of the Constitution.

What On Earth! by The Council on Energy, Environment and Water

Climate change conjures images of gloom and looming doom. However, it can be discussed with a bit of wit and humour. The cartoon series by CEEW brought sustainability and climate conversation to life in ways which broke down complex topics on energy and climate and made them accessible to everyone interested in participating.

Rocks Matter by The Society to Save Rocks

In a city known for its rock formations which are now in danger of disappearing at an alarming rate, the exhibition showcased rock conservation. Immersive activities included painting tattoos, painting bookmarks and postcards, an online rock quiz, rock puzzles, workshops on making digital rock posters and origami and a treasure hunt.

Here & There: Through the Lens of a Phone

In this exhibition by Aquin Mathews, the viewer was invited to step into a familiar world around us and offer new perspectives through the simplicity of a mobile phone camera. It reminded us that we do not need the latest technology to capture the world’s wonders.

Vilnius Historical Photos

Vilnius, Lithuania’s capital, is celebrating its 700th anniversary. The historical photographs for this exhibition were prepared by the National Museum of Lithuania. The collection was adapted for Indian viewers by the Embassy of Lithuania in New Delhi and the Museo Camera at Gurgaon.

Meet My Book

Author Pankaj Sekhsaria discussed the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, in his book, The Great Nicobar Betrayal, which provided a compelling glimpse of the mega disaster being aggressively pushed in Great Nicobar Island. The section was well-received with many wanting to know what the author had to say about India’s quaint islands.

Science and the City

After the great reception last year, the Hyderabad Literary Festival was back in 2025 with its dedicated science stream—Science and the City, a dedicated stream that brought together science and culture. The sessions, organised over three days, were built on the theme of a city of science and technology and the role played by Hyderabad’s culture to enable such an environment.

Future of Food in the Age of AI

Ganesh Bagler, professor and computational gastronomist at the Infosys Centre for Artificial Intelligence, IIIT Delhi, and Ruby Islam, chocolatier at Hyderabad’s very own Manam Chocolate took the audience through the future of food with Meenakshi J, a freelance science and food journalist.

Pharma’s Impact on Hyderabad

On the concluding day in the ‘Science and the City’ section, two prominent figures in the pharmaceutical space, GV Prasad, co-chairman and MD of Dr Reddy’s Laboratories, and Dr K Anand Kumar, managing director of Indian Immunologicals Limited (IIL), participated in a Q&A session moderated by Deepanwita Chattopadhyay, CEO of ICICI Knowledge Park.

Both leaders shared insights on the genesis of their companies, pricing strategies, approach towards social good, advancement in Artificial Intelligence, combating Anti-Microbial Resistance, responsible manufacturing and ‘One Health’ approach.

They emphasised that drugs and vaccines made in India made of highest quality are priced the lowest in the world. Additionally, they elaborated on the social good initiatives undertaken by the respective companies.

The section also included STEM booths that gave us a glimpse of what research labs are working on in Hyderabad. It also featured a grassroots innovations pavilion that showcased how citizens are building their tech solutions.

Nanha Nukkad and storytelling

Stories transport listeners to new worlds and lead them to reflect and engage with the world around them in meaningful ways. The Storytelling Stream at HLF 2025 offered multilingual narratives and performances that appealed to all ages and tastes, drawing the listener into historical or contemporary themes or personal experiences.

The hugely popular second edition of the Hyderabad Stories segment continued this year, reflecting the rich cultural and historical ethos of a city home to a tapestry of communities.

Books, costumes, jewellery and Telangana snacks

In the age of mobiles and social media, it was heartening to see a brisk sale of books with hundreds of people thumbing through and buying books at various stalls. ‘Date a Book’ was a novel concept this year.

Beautiful clothing, snacks and jewellery stalls were also full of crowds.

Lit Stream

Spread across two venues, the Lit Stream featured five plenaries, 26 parallel sessions and a valedictory. The panel discussions and conversations with authors explored a range of topics across diverse genres.

The Identity Project which dealt with ‘The Unmasking of the World’s Largest Democracy’ had Rahul Bhatia in conversation with Vinod Pavarala. It had a large attendance. The Ajay Gandhi Memorial Valedictory session featured Harsh Mander and Rajmohan Gandhi in conversation with Kalpana Kannabiran about the ‘Values of the Indian Constitution’. The event witnessed a full house of eager learners.

Visitors enjoyed HLF and its activities

Dr M Radhika Nath, director of a security and manpower services company, said, “I really enjoyed that they have set up such a diverse set of events that provide experiences on all levels—intellectual, visual, auditory and tactile. It draws people in naturally. I also enjoyed the indoor-outdoor feel of the place a lot! Very conducive for people wanting to lounge and enjoy nature.”

Twelve-year-old Noah Ravi Hofmann and 13-year-old Sebastian Josef Hofmann of Shantiniketan International said, “This is the second year that we have come to the HLF. We enjoyed being in the open, having things to play with and engaging in new experiences. For instance, the BITS stall had scholars and scientists showing people conductivity and other scientific phenomena. Very engaging and we plan to attend next year too!”