post news network, Bhubaneswar, May 16: The city is ready to hold the second literary festival, which organisers feel will one day become big enough to match the major fests, such as the Jaipur Literature Festival, of the country. The book lovers of the city are looking forward to spending their Sunday, taking part in discussions on literature, cinema, art and culture.
Talking to the Orissa Post, Sitansu Mohapatra member of the organising committee of the lit fest, said, “This is the second festival to be held in the city and this time we have included many writers from others parts of the country as also some international writers.” This literary festival is a platform where different writers, filmmakers, artists, actors, critics and thinkers would meet and exchange ideas, he pointed out. “Through this festival we are also trying to focus on writers who are not in the mainstream but are active in the field of literature.”
Here, we have tribal writers, dalit writers, writers writing only in Oriya, alongside offbeat writers, journalists and others rubbing shoulders in the day-long celebrations of literature, said one of the organisers.
“This time we have collaborated with some national and international writers and hope that in the coming days the festival would be one of the best literary festivals in the country. We are trying to promote Orissa as a destination among writers where they can find wide scope to discuss on different topics with fellow writers,” said Mohapatra.
When asked why it is just a one-day festival, Mohapatra said, “We are at an initial stage and are slowly trying to incorporate more and more writers from within and outside the state, and many more international writers, in the years to come. Now it’s a one-day festival, but in future when more writers join, number of days may also increase.”
Though the festival is open to all, the organisers have also made an arrangement for online registration where anyone who wants to participate in the festival can apply. Young authors and poets can also attend the festival and read their works and participate in the discussions. When asked about other attractions in the festival he informed, “We have made special arrangements for direct interaction with prominent guests, selfie sessions, sessions where readers can take autographs of their favourite writers etc.”
Noted Oriya filmmaker, Sabyasachi Mohapatra who is going to participate in a discussion on the topic ‘Is parallel cinema an obsolete idea in the era of 100cr Club’ said, “Such festivals are good initiatives, as those give us opportunity to interact with people working in the fields of art and literature from outside the state. They will also get acquainted with the culture, literature and films of Orissa. It is a big platform where like-minded people can discuss on different aspects of their fields of work.”
Speaking on the duration of the festival the filmmaker said, “The duration of the festival is too short. It would have been better if the duration was increased by two more days. We could have organised other activities, including technical sessions, which would have helped many young and aspiring writers.”
“Lit fests are a great forum for igniting passion in life and to help us spread our wings of imagination. When it is a locally inflected, as the Kalinga Literary Festival is, it also serves to give voice to the aspirations of the people of the place,” said prof Himanshu Mahapatra, of the English department of the Utkal University.
The various discussion sessions that would span through the day include “Is Bhasa Sahitya endangered because of English Literature”, “Feminism in contemporary Literature: Reluctance within or a shifted focus”, “Media, Medium, Message: Have media become the medium for message of the privileged and ruling class”, “Story of Dalit, Tribal in Mainstream Literature: Confrontation of the classes or concern for the mass” etc.
