NEW DELHI: For the first time in Sahitya Akademi’s annual ‘Festival of Letters’ in the National Capital, there will be all-India tribal women writers’ meet at the event. At least 40 to 50 adivasi women writers will be part of the festival.
The Festival of Letters event will encourage analytical, cerebral and creative events among the members of the literary fraternity. It will be held between January 28 to February 2, 2019.
K Sreenivasarao, secretary of Sahitya Akademi, said, “The Festival of Letters brings together best minds from all the languages of the country. India is a country of many languages and by uniting the languages, the Akademi unites varied traditions of the country. Festival of Letters is the most representative of literary festival in the country.”
Around 250 literary giants, including Jayanta Mahapatra, Manoj Das, Armoogum Parsuram, Sudhir Chandra, Vishwanath Prasad Tiwari, K Satchidanandan, Sheoraj Singh Bechain, SL Bhyrappa, Neera Chandhoke, Ratnottama Sengupta, Shinie Antony, Sitanshu Yashaschandra, Sukanta Choudhuri, Harish Trivedi, Giriraj Kishore and Prabodh Parikh, among others, will participate.
The festival will have something to offer to literary enthusiasts cutting across ages and geographies. The festival will also include media interaction with Sahitya Akademi Award winners, writers’ meets, Purvottari (an event dedicated exclusively to the Northeast) and a Yuva Sahiti for young literary enthusiasts. There will be panel discussions on translation, publishing, media and literature; and an interactive session with children.
The festival will also witness seminar on Gandhi in Indian literature. Scholars have been encouraged to explore writing papers on Gandhi and democratic values, Gandhi and women empowerment, influence of Tolstoy and Ruskin on Gandhi, influence of Buddha and Socrates on Gandhi, Gandhi in Asian Literature, Gandhi and African Literature, Gandhi and Romain Rolland, Gandhi as seen by European and American Writers, and Gandhi and Independence movement poetry. The Akademi is planning to celebrate Gandhian literature over the next two years.
Focus On Mahatma
Festival will also witness seminar on Gandhi in Indian literature as the Akademi is planning to celebrate representation of the Father of the Nation across wide domains and how he was viewed by the Eurpoean, American, African and Asian writers. It also aims to spotlight influence of various scholars on the Mahatma