City bids adieu to carnival of literature and culture

Shedding light on some of the most ignored topics in Dalit literature, the literature of sexual minorities, alternative cannons and little traditions, the literary carnival brought forth new dimensions and perspective to literature students and scholars pursuing them as subjects of study

Begumpet: Breathing soul into the otherwise lifeless words and quenching the thirst of literature enthusiasts across different geographical boundaries of the country, the eighth edition of Hyderabad Literary Festival concluded on a grand note, here on Sunday.

From eye catchy art installations to foot thumping music, from thought-provoking speeches to heart touching poetry sessions, the three-day cultural fiesta enthralled people of all ages alike.

Organised by the “Hyderabad Literary Trust” in collaboration with the Government of Telangana alongside several academic institutions, publishing houses, literary and cultural organisations, the annual literary festival witnessed participation of nearly 150 powerful speakers from various creative fields like Shiv Aroor, Sanjna Kapoor, Rajdeep Sardesai, Pratibha Nandakumar, Aruna Roy etc who left the audience mesmerized. Moreover, leading writers, artists and cultural managers representing Spanish culture stood as special attractions in the event.

Shedding light on some of the most ignored topics in Dalit literature, the literature of sexual minorities, alternative cannons and little traditions, the literary carnival brought forth new dimensions and perspective to literature students and scholars pursuing them as subjects of study.

“This fest did not just bring local, national and global writers on one platform but is bridging gaps between writers and their audience. It offers a great opportunity for the aspiring artists to meet the established ones and seek their suggestions or discuss their ideas with them.

It is a great platform to inculcate the literary culture in young minds. My daughter wants to become an author and I felt this festival as the best way for her to explore the various styles of writings.” says Sudarshan, a guest.

Well described as a “Carnival of Literature and Culture”, the annual event also showcased works of local artisans, craftspersons, handloom weavers and entrepreneurs from less advantaged backgrounds to promote their talent and boost their morale. This year, concepts like the Human Library, Ka Se Kavita, Rise of Literati and the Tale Tellers Troupe India were introduced to a wider section of literary enthusiasts who thoroughly enjoyed being a part of the new ideas coming from young minds of the country.

Apart from the plenaries, workshops comprising storytelling techniques, scripting and writing for social media sessions also drew large crowds of excited teenagers. As a part of the event, soul-stirring films like Dweepa, Shakespeare Wallah, Gulabi Talkies etc were screened in the HLF Talkies section of the venue attracting movie lovers of all languages under one roof.

“Art is a unifying subject. Be it in any form or any language, it finds its way to the heart of those who are passionate about it. The entire idea of the literary festival is conceptualised around it. Bringing literary lovers under one umbrella is a major milestone achieved by the Hyderabad Literary Festival. The response to this year’s edition has been overwhelming than that of the previous one.

We are satisfied that we could get some quality discussions on board in this festival. We tried to promote the works of various upcoming artists to encourage the spread of literature and art in the city. To put it in a nutcase, this sure has been a festival with a heart.” gleams Amita Desai, one of the organisers.

But despite all the efforts put in by the management, some felt that the festival needed a few more renowned speakers. Bhavana, a journalism student opined that this year’s literary extravaganza fell short of exceptional speakers. But all’s well that ends well right!