Held from 4 to 8 February, Goa’s first-ever Book Festival unfolded as a landmark cultural event for the state, bringing together voices from across disciplines and worlds. Organised by the National Book Trust, India, under the aegis Ministry of Education; and supported by the Lokmanya Cultural Foundation, the festival created a rare space where literature met cinema, journalism conversed with science, and storytelling extended far beyond the written word. Speakers at the festival included journalists like M.J. Akbar, astronaut and Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, actors like Sachin Pilgaonkar, and Mrinal Kulkarni, among several others; reflecting a deliberate and inclusive coming together of literary, artistic, scientific, and legal thought.
Within this rich cultural landscape, Lokmanya Cultural Foundation’s Photography Competition emerged as a key highlight, placing young creators at the centre of the festival’s programming. The competition invited students to celebrate Goan art and culture through photography, encouraging them to observe their surroundings with care, curiosity, and creative intent.
(Seated L-R: Isha Kakkad Lakhani, Dr. Kiran Thakur, Manjusha Pathare and Kiran Gaude. Standing behind are all the winners of the competition.) |
The winners were felicitated during the festival by Isha Kakkad Lakhani, educationist and Impact Strategist at Eight Goals One Foundation, along with Dr. Kiran Thakur, Founder and Chairman of the Lokmanya Cultural Foundation along with the judging panellists Manjusha Pathare and Kiran Gaude.
Speaking at the ceremony, Isha Kakkad Lakhani, who is also the author of The Better School, charting new directions for learning and schooling; reflected on the layered and intricate nature of Goan culture, shaped by multiple historical and social influences. She emphasised that platforms supporting young talent play a crucial role in enabling students to engage deeply with their context and express lived experiences through creative forms. She also noted that the scale of the festival being hosted in Goa for the first time, signalled the cultural potential that future editions could continue to unlock.
The first prize in the photography competition was awarded to Parthavi Sawant, while the second prize went to Rohan Shetkar and Saipandhari Naik, and the third prize was jointly awarded to Ishan Kakodkar, Anariz Silvera, and Alysia Dsilva.
Two consolation series were also awarded, underscoring the spirit of encouragement that shaped the competition. Recognitions like these are intended to acknowledge effort, creativity, and potential keeping the emphasis on learning, participation, and the confidence of young photographers as they continue to develop their craft.
By integrating cultural events like the photography competition into its literary programme, the Goa Book Festival articulated a broader vision - one where books, images, ideas, and young voices come together to form a living cultural ecosystem. As Goa sets the foundation for this new festival tradition, the emphasis on diversity, dialogue, and youth-led creativity points toward an expansive and inclusive future.
