Te Aroha, an enchanting little resort in Dhanachuli, will be the prime venue of the lit fest.

If your idea of a holiday is to curl up on a hammock with a book for company, well, here is an idea that goes a step ahead. How about the author himself giving you company? That too in the lap of misty mountains. Looks like the idea will soon see the light of the day.

Come October 23, and you are in for a five day literary treat. It's time for Kumaon Literary Festival (till October 27), billed as the first annual retreat destination literary festival of the country. The festival will bring top authors, cinema and media personalities, political commentators, thought leaders and opinion makers of the country together for the rendezvous.

The venue, Te Aroha, itself is one of the finest boutique hotels in Uttarakhand, located right in the mountains of Dhanachuli, an enchanting little village in the Himalayas. The last two days of the festival will travel to Nainital, where a heritage property called Abbotsford will play host. Built in 1876, this was the summer retreat for the then Esquire of the erstwhile United Provinces of Agra and Oudh.

The hilly region of Uttarakhand shares a special relationship with literature. This strong bond between writers/poets and Uttarakhand exists even today, as there have been and still are many writers who belong to this place or have made it their home.

"KLF is an experiential festival. It is deep in content but relaxed in format," says Sumant Batra, owner of the resort and also the founder of the festival. In fact, a number of prominent personalities like Barkha Dutt (NDTV) Priya Kapoor (Roli Books), Anuj Bahri (the literary agent of celebrated authors like Amish Tripathi and Anuja Chauhan), Janhavi Prasada (film maker) and a number of authors, poets, media personalities are involved in the festival produced by NHP Centre, a not-for-profit entity.

Meeting of minds at Te Aroha overlooking misty mountains Meeting of minds at Te Aroha overlooking misty mountains

There will be discussions and book readings, interactions with authors, but you will also have more than enough leisure time to make friends, go for a picnics, forest or village walk, bird watching and spend time with children from local schools. The festival will spill over the quaint summer homes and other places located in around Dhanachuli.

Supported by United Nations Women and Uttarakhand Tourism, the festival is the next big thing in literary tour.