The landscapes of Bhutan and its rich history are ready to provide a glimpse of its literary history amalgamated with contemporary literature from all over the globe in the upcoming Mountain Echoes Literary festival, which will be organised in Thimpu.

Set against the backdrop of picturesque mountains, the 2017 edition will witness eminent personalities from across the world come together to discuss a range of topics including Art and Culture; Natural History and Environment; Spirituality and Buddhism; Business and Leadership; Poetry; Fashion; and Food.

The names set to appear at the festival this year include Markus Zusak, an Australian author known for his international best-seller The Book Thief; Francesca Beard, a London-based writer and performance poet, who is appreciated around the world; American television host and author Padma Lakshmi; and author Ashwin Sanghi.

Other well-known authors, who will mark their presence at the eighth edition of the festival include Prayaag Akbar, author of the bestselling book Leila; leading mythologist Devdutt Pattanaik; Sahitya Akademi Award winner Jerry Pinto; and Sharanya Manivannan, author of the critically acclaimed The High Priestess Never Marries: Stories of Love and Consequence among others.

The three-day festival will celebrate the untouched beauty, unexplored ideas and unstoppable voices from the heart of the happiest country in the world. The 2017 festival will embrace and explore globally relevant issues such as environment conservation, natural history, spirituality and the global evolution of textiles and design traditions, among others, thereby bringing together a range of expertise and perspectives on stage throughout the three days.

Festival co-director and author Namita Gokhale said, "Over the last eight years Mountain Echoes has established itself as one of the most thoughtful, moving and evocative celebrations of literature anywhere on our planet. The shared narratives of Bhutan and India, and of mountain regions everywhere, expand the space for insights across cultures and geographies."

Providing a platform for the cultural dialogue between Bhutan and other countries, this festival will see discussions and debates on major themes that are expected to dominate the festival this year, including natural history and environment, business and leadership, fashion, magic and, most importantly, spirituality and Buddhism.

"Over the past seven years, Mountain Echoes has achieved tremendous positive feedback in Bhutan and encouraged participation from people across the country. The vision of the festival is to present a confluence of literature, art and music from both India and Bhutan. This year's specially-designed programme will enable audiences to engage in whatever form of storytelling inspires them. Masterpieces on canvas, through music and performances, or literature, there's something for everyone. The festival, as always, is free for ever yone to attend," said Sian Dorji , founder of Bhutan Centre for Media and Democracy.

The eighth edition of the festival will be organised in Thimphu, Bhutan, on 25-27 August with the inaugural on 24 August.