HYDERABAD: Amid the misty hills of Wayanad, a cosy literature festival unlike any other unfolded over the past weekend — a gathering reminiscent of the charm of old-world literary meets.
This unique appeal defined the Wayanad Literary Festival, held at a school in the rural village of Dwaraka in Mananthavady. Locals, students, and visitors walked shoulder to shoulder with the likes of writers KR Meera, M Mukundan, and S Hareesh, historian John Keay, and actor Prakash Raj.
The festival, which concluded on Sunday, featured discussions on topics ranging from poetry, literature (both old and new), politics, law, and journalism to AI and climate change. However, what truly set this fest apart was its accessibility.
Common people were encouraged to enter the venue, attend panel discussions, exhibitions, or listen to their favourite authors reading aloud by a bonfire. Journalist and festival director Vinod K Joseph described the collective brainstorming process as ‘building a bridge’.
When KR Meera declared that complete democracy is only possible when a country ensures gender equality and justice, her words were met with resounding applause from a packed audience.
Another surprisingly jam-packed session was the panel discussion on ‘75 years of the Supreme Court’ attended by former Supreme Court court judge Jasti Chelameswar, Prof G Mohan Gopal, and Adv Shyam Divan. Mohan alleged that ‘the bench and the bar have made the judiciary into an oligarchy moving away from the values of the Constitution’.
TNIE editor Santwana Bhattacharya, who was among the guests at the festival, spoke about shattering the glass ceiling and rising up the ranks to the helm of a legacy newspaper. In another session, she elaborated on the relevance of journalism and the challenges faced by traditional news media in contemporary times.
She shattered notions that old-school ‘journalism is dead’, and also expressed anguish over numerous reporters getting killed in the Israel-Palestine conflict zone.
“I have been hearing that journalism is dead since the time I became one. Journalism is dead as long as you believe it is dead,” she asserted. “In the earlier times, there were only very few spaces and media where different views and opinions could be expressed. However, today, the same event can be reported and examined from different angles in different ways.”
During a bonfire reading session, poet Prakriti shared her experiences of double standards faced by queer and transgender writers at literary festivals, including WLF. She noted how they were often invited ‘as an afterthought, with pity’ and excluded from events involving ‘mainstream’ authors. She then read aloud a poem, receiving encouragement from the large audience.
Beyond literature, the festival catered to a diverse audience with art exhibitions, a retrospective on Miss Kumari (one of Malayalam cinema’s earliest actresses), Sufi music, tribal art forms like Vattakali, karate demos, and chess competitions.
One standout, immersive event was a multimedia theatre production, ‘I Joseph’, by Kaivalya Plays from Delhi. Based on Franz Kafka’s ‘The Trial’, it captivated students and literature enthusiasts alike.
For the children of Wayanad, it was a rare opportunity to learn acting from actor Parvathy Thiruvothu, who held a workshop. For lovers of literature, it was a chance to hear their favourite authors and create cherished memories. And for writers, it was an opportunity to interact with the masses, bridging gaps.
Most importantly, the fest underscored Wayanad’s resilience as one India’s best travel destinations. “Our primary goal was to give Wayanad a vital boost after the recent landslides that saw a pall of gloom descend upon this region. We wanted to show the world that Wayanad is safe and resilient,” said journalist and festival curator Leena Raghunath.