11th GLF Registration

ALL EDITIONS
AT A GLANCE

ALL EDITIONS AT A GLANCE

First Edition

Key Highlights:

  • Inaugural edition — dedicated to Gujarati literature.
  • 150+ writers interact with 7,000+ young attendees.
  • 50%+ audience under 30; multiple book launches.
  • Several events webcast live — 7,500+ overseas viewers.

Notable Moments:

  • Playwright Saumya Joshi enthrals crowds with poetry.
  • Novelist Kajal Oza Vaidya and director Anand Gandhi leave audiences spellbound.
  • GLF coins ‘Rock Dayro’ — Dayro fused with pop music — now performed worldwide

Jan 3 ,4,5 2014 , Ahmedabad ,Venues: 1. Kanoria Centre for Arts and.   2. Hutheesing Visual Arts Centre
(3 days, 50 events)

Jan 28–Feb 1, 2015 ,Ahmedabad,Venues: 1. Kanoria Centre for Arts and.  2. Hutheesing Visual Arts Centre
(5 days, 54 events)

Second Edition

Key Highlights:

  • Expanded to Hindi, English, Urdu and Bengali sessions.
  • Nationally acclaimed author Tarak Mehta attends.
  • Workshops by Jay Vasavada, Kajal Oza Vaidya and Madhu Rye.

Notable Moments:

  • Literary legend Niranjan Bhagat appears in public for the first time in years.
  • Film director Abhijat Joshi debates ‘Gandhigiri’ with Rajmohan Gandhi.
  • Gujarat Governor O.P. Kohli inaugurates the festival.

Third Edition

Key Highlights:

  • Theme: ‘Film is new literature.’
  • 175 authors including Bollywood scriptwriters, lyricists, dramatists.
  • 70+ sessions; 8 workshops across 5 languages; 40,000+ visitors.
  • Exhibition ‘Kanu’s Gandhi’ — exclusive Gandhiji photographs.

Notable Moments:

  • Workshops by Anjum Rajabali, Sriram Raghavan, Varun Grover and Pan Nalin.
  • Governor O.P. Kohli and Ministers Saurabh Dalal & Bhupendrasinh Chudasama attend.
  • Performance by Aditya Gadhvi

Jan 7,8,9,10, 2016 ,Ahmedabad, Venue: 1. Kanoria Centre for Arts and 2. CEPT Auditorium  3. Hutheesing Visual Arts Centre
(4 days,63 events)

Dec 14,15,16,17,18, 2016 ,Ahmedabad,
Venues: 1. Sabarmati Ashram, 2. CEPT Plaza, 3. CEPT Auditorium, 4. Kanoria Centre for Arts, 5. Hutheesingh Centre,6. Thakorebhai Desai Hall.
(5 days,  93 events)

Fourth Edition

Key Highlights:

  • Theme: Humour. 200+ authors, scriptwriters, academicians in 90+ events over 5 days.
  • SWA partnership brings the best Bollywood writers to GLF.
  • First Hindustani classical event at Sabarmati Ashram.
  • CM Vijay Rupani inaugurates; delivers keynote address.
  • Reliance’s Parimal Nathwani and Wagh Bakri’s Piyush Desai as guests of honour.

Notable Moments:

  • Ashwin Sanghi, Namita Gokhale, Divya Prakash Dubey, Zac O’Yeah among speakers.
  • Irshad Kamil’s band ‘Waahz’ performs; Gujarati band Inner Notes debuts.
  • Aditi Desai’s play ‘Dhaad’ was premiered.
  • Vidya Rao’s classical music performance and Chintan Naik’s ‘Chappa Rocks’ based on Akha Bhagat’s works
  • Photography exhibitions by Vivek Desai and Piyush Patel

Fifth Edition

Key Highlights:

  • Historic: CM Vijay Rupani pledges Gujarati compulsory in schools.
  • Gujarat Assembly passes motion unanimously in March 2018.
  • GLF Awards and InkTank platform launched.
  • Tabariya (children’s festival) introduced — instant success with multiple schools.

Notable Moments:

  • Film writers Ketan Mehta and Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra attend.
  • Bestselling author Devdutt Pattanaik speaks.
  • Amruta Fadnavis is chief guest at GLF Awards night.

Jan 3,4,5,6,7, 2018 ,Ahmedabad ,Venues: 1. Kanoria Centre for Arts, 2. Hutheesingh Visual Arts Centre and 3. GU Sentate Hall, 4. GU smaller halls
(5 days,110  events)

Feb 2,3,4, 2018 ,Vadodara,Venue: 1.Alembic Premises, 2. Sanskruti Hall and Lawns
( 3 days, 80 events)

Sixth Edition (Vadodara)

Key Highlights:

  • First GLF in Vadodara presented as ‘Alembic GLF’ — smashing debut.
  • 75 sessions in Gujarati, English, Hindi, Urdu and Marathi.
  • Tabariya receives hearty participation from schools and parents.
  • Rock Dayro by Dr Ranjit Vank brings stories from Saurashtra.

Notable Moments:

  • Bollywood star Vidya Balan inaugurates; candid chat with Anjum Rajabali.
  • ‘India Today’ founder Aroon Purie on managing a media empire.
  •  Young folk artist Aditya Gadhvi rocks the audience.
  • Organised in Partnership with Alembic Pharmaceuticals.

Seventh Edition (Vadodara)

Key Highlights:

  • Debut of Indian Screenwriters’ Festival — first festival for film/TV/web writing.
  • Venue: Museum Square — a century-old industrial warehouse turned art museum.
  • ISF packed morning to evening with sessions on screenwriting.
  • Performances: Sufi trance, Rock Dayro, English theatre on Gandhi’s legacy.

Notable Moments:

  • Writers Sriram Raghavan and Abhishek Chaubey in conversation.
  • Actor Swara Bhaskar in no-holds-barred discussion.
  • Workshops on writing for films and web series.

Jan 18,19,20, 2019 ,Vadodara,Venues: Alembic City & Museum Square
( 3 days, 79 events)

Dec 18,19,20,21,22, 2019 ,Ahmedabad,Venue: Heritage Lawns of Gujarat University Campus
( 5 days, 108 events)

Eighth Edition

Key Highlights:

  • Biggest edition — expanded to Gujarat University campus.
  • BizTalks and ArtFest introduced as new genre festivals.
  • First Kanti Bhatt Memorial Journalism Award ceremony.
  • 5-day screenwriting workshop with Whistling Woods International and SWA.
  • ISF features director Vishal Bhardwaj and Vijayendra Prasad (Baahubali).

Notable Moments:

  • Comedian Abhishek Upamanyu headlines evenings.
  • Kaajal Oza Vaidya performs her play ‘Ekla Chaalo Re’.
  • India premiere of ‘Gandhi Dhun’ — contemporary songs associated with Gandhiji.
  • Multiple book launches by young writers inspired by GLF.
  • In partnership with Aakar Infomedia

Ninth Edition

Key Highlights:

  • First post-pandemic edition — first GLF held in peak summer, entirely indoors.
  • Five festivals: Gujarati Sahitya Mahotsav, ISF, Tabariya, BizLit Fest and Fountainhead.
  • Despite heatwave, the festival attracted large and enthusiastic audiences.
  • Resilient return after a two-year gap due to COVID-19.

Notable Moments:

  • Reaffirmed GLF’s commitment to community even under challenging conditions.
  • Demonstrated that GLF’s audience transcends weather and seasonal constraints.
  • Organised in partnership with AMA

May 11,12,13,14,15, 2022 ,Ahmedabad,Venue: First summer edition and indoor festival Held at AMA
(5 days, 63 events)

Dec 24,25,26, 2023,Ahmedabad,Venue: Gujarat University – Main Building, Senate Hall and  Front Lawns
( 4 days, 46 events)

Tenth Edition

Key Highlights:

  • Ten-year milestone edition — celebrated with renewed scale and ambition.
  • Gujarati Sahitya Mahotsav, Tabariya and Fountainhead headlined programming.
  • Special exhibition and anchor book store introduced.
  • InDiFest (Indian Diaspora Festival) featured prominently.

Notable Moments:

  • Gujarat CM Bhupendrabhai Patel inaugurates the 10th edition.
  • Ministers Harsh Sanghvi and Rushikesh Patel attend as guests of honour.
  • A decade of GLF celebrated with retrospective programming.
  • Organised in partnership with Gujarat Media Club (GLF) and Gujarat University.