KOZHIKODE: Edavaka, a remote village in Wayanad, will reverberate with discussions on literature, storytelling, and recitation of poems by writers and artists from different parts of India. The Wayanad Literature 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.
“The entire panchayat is gearing up for the mega event. It would be for the first time in the country that a village is hosting such a large literary event,” said H B Pradeep, Edavaka panchayat president.
“Ward councillors have been selected as the chairpersons of various sub-committees. The Haritha Karma Sena will be in charge of keeping the venues clean. Vayal Nadatham or ‘Walking Through the Paddy Field’ arranged as part of the fest will be a new experience for the participants,” he said adding that the event will greatly boost the tourism potential of the district.
“Literature has never been the primary concern of the people of Wayanad who do not have the leisure time for artistic expressions. They were engaged in a tough fight for survival. That is why we don’t see so many writers from Wayanad,” said poet and critic Kalpetta Narayanan, who hails from the district.
“Wayanad had a rich oral tradition of the tribals, which has not been fully retrieved. There is also the Edakkal cave engravings, the ritualistic or artistic expressions, the meaning of which is not yet fully comprehended,” he said. Kerala Sahitya Akademi president and noted poet K Satchidanandan officially inaugurated the website on Monday.
Twitter page was inaugurated by P Valsala, who wrote the novel Nellu, which has Wayanad as the background. Midhun Manuel Thomas, a prominent young film director who is part of the new wave movement, and a native of Wayanad, launched the Facebook page of WLF, and prominent writer K R Meera inaugurated the WhatsApp group for the WLF.
Booker Prize winner Arundhati Roy, K Satchidanandan, 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 and lyricist Rafeeq Ahammed, actor-screenwriter-director Madhupal, film editor Bina Paul, investigative journalist and author Josey Joseph, journalists Leena Reghunath and Dhanya Rajendran will attend various sessions.
Award-winning journalist Dr Vinod K Jose, who is a 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.