The dates for Drakul ‘s literature festivals are out (4-6 August) and literati and nature lovers couldn’t be happier. Drukyul’s Literature Festival is an annual celebration of literature and arts in the Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan, under the Royal Patronage of Her Majesty the Queen Mother Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck, who herself is a celebrated author. Over the last decade, the festival has welcomed international literary figures such as Pico Iyer, Ruskin Bond, and Vikram Seth as well as contemporary Bhutanese authors like Aum Kunzang Choden.
Attending the festival in the world’s ONLY carbon-negative country with a gallery of esteemed authors, thought-leaders, and change-makers from around the world is quite an experience.
The festival has been a successful forum for the exchange of literature, and the creative arts and a celebration of the two cultures of India and Bhutan, all thanks to Her Majesty who has sponsored and edited a number of books on poetry and essays on issues of relevance to the country.
Her book, Rainbows and Clouds is the biography of her father Yab Ugyen Dorji. The book lets you peek into a fascinating and intimate glimpse of life and times in the remote eastern Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan during this century. Of Rainbows and Clouds is not only a beautifully narrated and gripping family saga but a glimpse into Bhutanese culture, society and history.
Her second book, Treasures of the Thunder Dragon- A Portrait of Bhutan, is a mixture of personal memoir, history, folklore and travelogue. Her Majesty’s third book, Dochula- A Spiritual Abode in Bhutan, is a documentation of the Druk Wangyel Complex consisting of the Lungchutse Lhakhang, 108 Druk Wangyel Stupas, the Druk Wangyel Lhakhang and the Druk Wangyel Tshechu.
Her Majesty is committed to the upliftment of the people of Bhutan. She has been the Chief Patron of the Ministry of Agriculture since 1999. As Farmers in Bhutan work under harsh climatic and geographic conditions, Her Majesty has initiated numerous programmes to improve the quality of life of the Bhutanese people especially in the rural areas through the creation of the Tarayana Foundation. The Foundation works in remote, rural villages to bring about holistic community growth and development serving needy communities. She is also highly invested in environment preservation and lends her support to National Parks, Biological Corridors and programmes to protect the environment.
Apart from that Her Majesty is also the Honorary President of Sherubtse College, Bhutan’s oldest and most respected institution of higher learning.
