(MENAFN- The Peninsula) Agencies
Mumbai: From Jnanpith laureate to Akademi award winners, from a sex worker-turned-author to a domestic help-turned writer, from a DIG in a conflict area to newspaper editor, from a film-maker to actresses, from budding writers to best-selling authors… The fourth edition of the LIC Gateway LitFest, slated from February 22 to 24 at NCPA here, will have a true slice of women power in the contemporary Indian literature.
Rated as India's first and the largest platform to celebrate regional language writings, the LIC Gateway LitFest will assemble over 50 women writers of different backgrounds and another 20 top male authors to discuss and debate around this year's core theme of `women power in Indian literature.'
The event, the first-of-the kind national platform, is being organised jointly by Mumbai-based Malayalam publication Kaakka and communication consultancy Passion4communication (P4C).
The roster of speakers has many Sahitya Akademi award winners and a Jnanpith winner -- Pratibha Ray. But among the key attractions will be Nalini Jameela, who was a sex worker for long and launched herself into the world of letters with her autobiography and Baby Haldar who worked as a domestic help before started writing her bestselling autobiography.
If Nitu Bhattacharya works as the DIG in Kashmir, Patricia Mukhim is the editor of a popular daily in Meghalaya. Neena Kulkarni is an Indian actress while Pradnya Daya Pawar is a leading Dalit-feminist poet. Jacinta Kerketta, an inspiring poet from Jharkhand, has made a mark now outside the country too.
The long list of writers also include famed film-maker Aparna Sen (Bengali), Shobhaa De (English), Anju Makhija (English), Devika J (Malayalam), Indu Menon (Malayalam), Kanaka Ha (Kannada), Karthika VK (Tamil), Malika Amar Sheikh (Marathi), Nirupama Dutt (Punjabi), Prof. Challapalli Swaroopa Rani (Telugu), Tarannum Riyaz (Urdu), Nandita Das (Bengali) Bina Paul (Malayalam), Baby Haldar (Hindi), Neena Kulkarni (Marati), Patricia Mukhim (Meghalaya), among others.
'The LIC Gateway LitFest has established itself as the largest national platform that brings together the talents from different streams of Indian literature. This time it is going to be the largest gathering of young and experienced women writers from across India, representing 17 languages, said Festival Director Mohan Kakanadan.
Well-known authors writing in Assamese, Ahirani, Bengali, Bhojpuri, English, Gujarati, Hindi, Khasi, Kashmiri, Konkani, Kosali, Malayalam, Marathi, Manipuri, Mythili, Odiya, Punjabi, Sindhi, Telugu, Kannada and Tamil will be attending the three-day literary jamboree.
'What makes it special this time will be the rich and diverse repertoire of women writers. One session is specially dedicated to the seven young woman writers who won the Kendra Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar last year while another session will bring together those women who made a mark with their candid and open narrations, said Executive Director Joseph Alexander.
A session on cinema will discuss about the portrayal of women in the Indian films while another session, packed with theatre personalities, will deal with the modern theatre and women. A panel discussion is on Dalit uprising in literature and the pressure on women writers from the current socio-political environment, while panel discussion on translation will touch upon the latest techniques and tools for translation. The entry for the event, slated from 2 to 8 pm every day, will be free.
'It is the celebration of Indian writings at the highest level as young and experienced authors meet here to discus and debate the literary trends. Despite the multiplicity of languages, there is a unique unity among our languages. More than 200 authors came in the last three editions together. The LIC Gateway LitFest is the true representation of this unity in diversity, said Executive Director M Sabarinath.
Celebrated film-maker Adoor Gopalakrishnan, Bengali writer Subodh Sarkar, veteran Gujarati poet Sitamshu Yashachandra, Marathi writer Laxman Gaikwad, Gujarati writer Sachin Ketkar, and Open Magazine Editor S Prasannarajan, who are on the advisory panel of the event, will also be among the speakers.
Books exhibition, poetry readings, networking events will add sheen to the event that will also discuss different trends in translation, reading habits, Dalit uprising in writings, and involvement of women in theatre, among other topics. For the first time an essay competition also has been conducted this time for the college students to inculcate the love for literature in the new generation.
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