KOCHI: 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 K R 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 free of cost, attend panel discussions, exhibitions, or listen to their favourite authors reading aloud by a bonfire.
Journalist and festival director Vinod K Jose described the collective brainstorming process as “building a bridge”.
When K R 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 judge Jasti Chelameswar, Prof G Mohan Gopal, and Adv Shyam Divan. Mohan alleged, the bar and the bench 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 double standards faced by queer 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 left the stage with the encouragement from the large audience after reading her poem.
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 and importance as a tourist destination.
“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.
What If You’re ‘Joseph’?
A multimedia immersive experience based on Franz Kafka’s seminal work The Trial was a highlight of the Wayanad Lit Fest, which concluded on Sunday. Inside a secluded black room, away from the bustle of the main venue, the nuanced theatre production drew curious crowds, especially students. In ‘I Joseph’, directed by Gaurav Singh Nijjer and adapted by Varoon P Anand, the viewer steps into the shoes of Joseph, the protagonist of Kafka’s novel, who is put on trial for unknown charges.
Seated in the darkened room, audience members are provided with headphones through which they hear pre-recorded audio, immersing them in interactions with other characters. Typically, three projectors positioned in the corners of the room display images of the courthouse, other characters, and key events onto white curtains hung throughout the space. “Here, we are only using one projector, taking into account the power constraints,” says Varoon.
As the audience assumes the role of the protagonist, they experience the confusion and anguish of Joseph, a man desperately trying to defend himself in an unfamiliar court against unexplained charges. “It is interesting to see the different reactions the play elicits in each viewer,” Varoon adds.
The production is a collaboration between Kaivalya Plays and the Goethe-Institut, created to commemorate Kafka’s 100th death anniversary (December 24). ‘I Joseph’ will be presented at other venues in the state, including the Kerala Literature Festival in Kozhikode set to be held in February.