KANNIYAKUMARI: Alleging lack of representation at the ongoing Kanniyakumari book fair, a section of upcoming writers has claimed that they were not given an opportunity to speak at the event. In response, officials have said that the intention was not to prevent them from speaking.
The Kanniyakumari book fair has been jointly organised by the district administration and (Booksellers and Publishers Association of South India) BAPASI, and is being held at SLB government higher secondary school campus in Nagercoil from February 17 to 27. Amid several writers giving speeches at the book fair, I Kennedy, from Venadu Literature Organisation, has said that a section of young writers has not been given the opportunity to interact with the audience.
Any opportunity to speak at the fair will give the young generation writers a fillip, he added. Writer Prabhu Dharmaraj (40) from Nagercoil said that he did not even know about the book fair, and added that only a section of writers were invited to speak. Concurring with Dharmaraj, 27-year-old writer S Saju said that upcoming writers should have been invited to share a few words as well. "But the organisers said that only two writers can speak daily. So, a total of 20 writers have been invited to speak over 10 days," he added.
According to officials, prior to the book fair, the district administration had conducted a meeting with writers and publishers, who had suggested a list of writers, who were later invited to speak at the fair. When contacted, District Collector PN Sridhar said that if the interested writers had given a representation before the book fair, they would have been given the opportunity to speak as well.