TIRUPATHUR: A first-of-its-kind literature festival and book fair held in Tirupathur from April 2-9. As many as 48 writers will be part of panel discussions and 60 book stalls will be set up with over 1 lakh books. The event is jointly organised by the district administration and Tirupathur Art and Literary Association.
Entry will be free and the event will be held at the Sacred Arts College from 3 pm to 7 pm. "It's not an ordinary book fair, it's a Lit Fest with interactive panel discussions and other contests. It's inspired by the Jaipur Lit Fest," district collector Amar Khushwaha told TNIE.
"Two-panel discussions will be held every day and prominent writers will participate. Tamil literature will be in focus," he added. In the 14 panel discussions at the Lit Fest, various topics will be discussed including women empowerment, environment, human rights, history, art and culture. Prominent writers such as Perumal Murugan, Sukhirtharani, Salma, Manushiyaputhran and Samas are participating.
A 20-member core committee and 50-member committee decided on the topics and guests. "It's solely focussed on Tamil literature. A three-member panel will deliver the introductory speech on a topic for the first 20 minutes and later, questions from the audience will be answered. The best questions will be awarded," said Dr K Parthiban, advisor for the fete.
In an effort to encourage students from rural areas to participate in the event, entry fees have been eliminated, he added. The organisers said major Tamil publication houses have agreed to set up stalls in the Lit Fest and the collection is expected to be vast and diverse.
Meanwhile, the Collector visited the venue and enquired about the preparations on Monday.