Antonym Council Of Global Arts And Literature Hosts ‘River Of Words’ – A Day Long Festival Celebrating Translation, Creativity And Literary Innovation
Antonym Council of Global Arts and Literature (ACGAL), a platform dedicated to advancing translation, cross-cultural literary exchange and global creative dialogue, in collaboration with the Institute of Language Studies and Research (ILSR) and the Kolkata Centre for Creativity (KCC), hosted River of Words 2025– a vibrant, day long celebration of literary translation and cross-cultural creativity.
The festival brought together an exciting constellation of authors, translators, illustrators, scholars, theatre and film makers, publishing professionals, educators, students and passionate readers. Across multiple spaces at the KCC, the festival offered a dynamic mix of panel discussions, book launches, performances, interactive workshops, book club gatherings, artistic showcases and youth-focused activities.
The festival opened with an inaugural session featuring Dr Chaiti Mitra, Director, River of Words 2025, Mr Biswadip Chakraborty, Founding Director, Antonym Council of Global Arts and Literature (ACGAL), Ms Swati Guha, Director, Institute Of Language Studies And Research & Ms Pramila Shah, Director, Cultural Events, Kolkata Centre For Creativity.
“Our vision for River of Words was to craft a gathering where people from different linguistic, artistic and educational backgrounds could come together in one shared space. The festival celebrates not only the craft of translation but the community it creates – the readers who open themselves to new worlds, the translators who mediate those worlds, the artists and performers who reimagine them and the young minds who will shape the next chapter of our literary landscape. We believe that when stories move between languages, they bring with them new insights, new emotions and new connections. River of Words is an attempt to honour that movement and to encourage conversations that continue beyond the day itself”, said Dr Chaiti Mitra, Director, River of Words 2025.
This year’s edition also welcomed several distinguished delegates whose work has shaped contemporary literature and translation, including International Booker Prize-winning translator and writer, Ms Deepa Bhasthi and Mr Kanishka Gupta, Founder of Writer’s Side Literary Agency, whose authors have secured major global honours. They joined leading voices from the ACGAL Directors and translators Dr Chaiti Mitra, Ms Kathakali Jana and Ms Bishnupriya Chowdhuri, Chief Editor of Antonym Collections and ALTA Fellow – collectively bringing a rich spectrum of experience that reflects the festival’s commitment to championing translation and fostering new literary conversations.
Key sessions included:
· “AI Will Change What Is To Be a Writer, Translator, Designer or Editor. Are We Ready?” with Mr Pratik Pal, Mr Pinaki De & Mr Shyamal Bhattacharya.
· “Taking Indian Short Stories Global: Selection, Translation, Representation” with Ms Deepa Bhasthi, International Booker Prize-winning translator and writer & Mr Kanishka Gupta, Founder, Writer’s Side Literary Agency.
· “Page To Stage And Screen” with Mr Koushik Sen, Mr Anindya Chattopadhyay, & Ms Anubha Fatehpuria.
· “Beparwah Manto” by Padatik Theatre.
The festival also featured a significant milestone for Antonym Collections – the launch of twelve new translated titles, marking one of the largest single-day releases in the organisation’s journey. This included the official launch of “Hubba”, written by Mr Bratya Basu, in the presence of Mr Bhaskar Let and Mr Arindam Sil, along with the unveiling of the 50th translated book by Antonym Collections. Together, the launches showcased ACGAL’s growing body of work in multilingual publishing and its commitment to bringing diverse voices into global circulation.
A major milestone of the day was the launch of the The Paper Planes Journal, a new English language magazine for young readers by ACGAL, marking an exciting addition to their growing translation-focused initiatives.
“This magazine is for all curious people aged ten and above and travels across borders bringing together a variety of writings across languages and cultures. There are stories, poems, graphic narratives and a range of non-fiction, starting from segments on travel and food to writings on art and music! It is not just planned for young readers but it is also substantially written by them. Finally, it is a fully illustrated volume – for we believe in the power of pictures”, said Dr Gargi Gangopadhyay, Editor-in-Chief and Art Director of the magazine.
Staying true to its commitment to nurturing new talent, the festival offered students, young creators and educators’ meaningful opportunities to learn directly from practitioners through hands-on sessions, including a cartooning workshop by musician cum graphic artist, Mr Upal Sengupta. The event also marked the launch of the first-ever Publication Grant for Student Translators – a milestone initiative designed to champion and support the next generation of literary voices.
The day-long event concluded with readers, creators and students gathering across spaces to explore exhibitions, engage with a translation focused bookstore and participate in workshops – all united by the belief that stories, when carried across languages, creates new connections and new possibilities.
