New Delhi, Aug 20 (IANS): Doordarshan is launching a weekly book show called "Kutaabnama: Books and Beyond" to address literary issues through dialogue and conversation.

Conceived by writer and literary activist Namita Gokhale, who is also the co-director of Jaipur Literature Festival and Mountain Echoes, Bhutan, the show will feature books, readings and encounters with writers from the spheres of Hindi, English, and various Indian languages, as well as guest appearances from international names and voices.

The show will be launched Aug 25. The early episodes will feature a diverse range of celebrated names including Ashok Vajpeyi, Amish Tripathi, Geetanjalishree, Mahesh Dattani, Mahmood Farooqui, Uday Prakash, Urvashi Butalia, Advaita Kala and Lord Meghnad Desai.

"The proliferation of literary festivals, including the incredible success of the Jaipur Literature Festival, has demonstrated the need and desire of audiences to connect with books and writers and to resonate with the world of ideas," said Gokhale in a statement Tuesday.

"The program will have a participatory and inclusive format and showcase the multilingual diversity of Indian literature," she added.

The weekend show will be aired on Saturday on DD National at 6 p.m and on Sunday on DD Bharti at 8 p.m.

As Doordarshan has over 90 percent footprint across the country, the show will reach out to the audience in the heartlands of India. This will in a way act as a bridge between the regional authors and lovers of literature.

"The show is among the positive steps that Doordarshan has recently taken to reach out to the soul of India when many others compete for the ears and eyes. Literature is the 'second opinion' that all nations have to seek for their own health, both mental and physical," said Jawar Sircar, CEO Prasar Bharti.