KOZHIKODE: A village in Mananthavady in Wayanad will witness discussions on literature, storytelling and recitation of poems by writers from different parts of India towards the end of this year. The Wayanad Literary Festival (WLF), which will be held in the last week of December, will script a new chapter in the history of literary festivals in the country.
“Usually, such festivals are held in metros, but we selected the Edavaka grama panchayat in Wayanad as the venue. This will be the first of its kind in the country,” said Jefrin Tom, media manager of the WLF.
“Literature never has been the primary concern of the people of Wayanad who do not have the leisure time for artistic expressions. They were fighting for survival. That is why we don’t see so many writers from Wayanad,” said poet and critic Kalpetta Narayanan.
“Wayanad had a rich oral tradition of the tribals. But that has not been fully retrieved. There is also the Edakkal cave engravings, the meaning of which is not yet fully comprehended,” he said.
Kerala Sahitya Akademi president and noted poet K Satchidanandan officially inaugurated the website.
“A festival’s arrival to Wayanad, the land of black gold, soothing mist, evergreen forest and its rich oral storytelling tradition is long-awaited,” Satchidanandan said. The Twitter page was inaugurated by P Valsala, who wrote the novel Nellu, which has Wayanad as the background.
“Wayanad is my favourite place. The old Wayanad, the land of wild diseases, animals and underdevelopment needs big modern-day opportunities like the WLF,” she said. Midhun Manuel Thomas, a prominent young film director part of the new wave movement, and a native of Wayanad, launched the Facebook page of WLF.
“Wayanad has not seen so many writers and cultural artists visiting for one event, and the WLF is going to be like our ValliyurKavu festival of literature and ideas,” Manuel said. Prominent writer K R Meera who inaugurated the WhatsApp groups for the WLF said that for the first time in its history, Wayanad is becoming the venue of the big literary festival.
“The Wayanad Literature Festival has the distinction of being the first panchayat-organised literary festival in India,” said Meera.
Curators of the festival
Booker Prize winner Arundhati Roy, poet K Satchidanandan, novelist Paul Zacharia; critic Sunil P Elayidom, novelist Sheela Tomy, activist Sunny M Kapicaud, poet Joy Vazhayil (V P Joy, Kerala Chief Secretary), writer Sukumaran Chaligadda from Wayanad’s Chaligadda village, writer P K Parakkadavu, writer and documentary filmmaker Sanjay Kak, writer and activist K J Baby, agriculturalist and storyteller Cheruvayal Raman; poet Kalpatta Narayanan, poet and lyricist Rafeeq Ahammed, actor-screenwriter-director Madhupal, film editor Bina Paul, journalist, film critic and documentary filmmaker OK Johnny, investigative journalist and author Josy Joseph; journalists Leena Reghunath and Dhanya Rajendran will attend various sessions. Award-winning journalist Dr Vinod K Jose, who is the native of Wayanad, is the festival director and writers V H Nishad and Dr Joseph K Job are the curators of the festival which will be held on December 29 and 30.