Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 5 (IANS): The fifth edition of the Kovalam Literary Festival (KLF) starts here Saturday after a stimulating first leg in New Delhi.

The two-day event will see a distinguished gathering that includes Indian-born British writer Farrukh Dhondy, Timeri N. Murari, Biman Nath, Sonia Faleiro, N.S. Madhavan, C.P. Surendran, upcoming Malayalam writer Benyamin, well-known film critic Anna Vetticad and Israeli authors Sarai Shavit and Dorit Rabinyan.

KLF has already attracted big names - with Booker-nominated Jeet Thayil headlining the event this year.

Thayil's debut novel "Narcopolis", a view of the seamy underbelly of Mumbai through an opium-induced haze, is one of the six novels short-listed this year for the 50,000 pound Booker Prize in fiction category.

The Thiruvanthapuram leg of the festival will consist of 15 sessions spread across two days, opening with the fifth Annual K.C. John Memorial Lecture by public health specialist and activist Binayak Sen Saturday.

The audience will be treated to book reading sessions by Dhondy (London Company), Madhavan (Litanies of Dutch Battery), Rabiyan (Our Weddings), Faleiro (Beautiful Thing: Inside the Secret World of Bombay's Dance Bar), Murari (The Taliban Cricket Club), Vetticad (The Adventures of an Intrepid Film Critic), and Nilanjana Roy (The Wildings).

Suresh Menon will anchor a session on "The Evolving Indian Novel" at 11.00 a.m. Saturday.

The other session will feature Israel's Shavit, author of "India Express", in conversation with Monisha Rajesh, author of "Around India in 80 Train".

Biman Nath's "The Tattooed Fakir", a work of historical fiction will be launched, followed by a discussion on "Colonial India in Indian Writing" with Naresh Fernandes, author of "Taj Mahal Fox Trot".