New Delhi, Nov 25 : Congress leader Shashi Tharoor will host the curtain raiser for the Kerala Literature Festival (KLF) on December 12 in the national capital. The prelude event will witness an evening featuring panel discussions and interactions. UNESCO recently declared Kozhikode as the first 'City of Literature' in India, attributing this honour to the city's rich cultural tapestry, with KLF serving as a key catalyst in this journey. KLF 2024 will witness Turkey taking the spotlight as the guest country of honour. Original Sufi dancers from Konya, Home of Rumi, with over 25 performers will stage on the beaches of Kozhikode on January 13. Speakers and authors in attendance include M.T. Vasudevan Nair, Arundathi Roy, Kailash Sathyarthi, Piyush Pandey, T.M. Krishna, Vikku Vinayakram, Gurcharan Das, Palanivel Thiagarajan, Ankoor Warikoo, William Dalrymple, Prakash Raj, Mallika Sarabhai and more. Renowned writer Prof. K Satchidanandan will lead the charge as the Festival Director, overseeing a diverse range of sessions that aim to map literature through discussions on science and technology, history and politics, environment, business and entrepreneurship, health, art, cinema, theatre, music & leisure, travel & tourism, gender, economy, and various facets that shape human consciousness. /IANS