Shillong, Nov 19: When in Shillong, everyone loves to find out a “Shillong connection”! The fourth Shillong Literary Festival that kicked off on Monday gave birth to one more!
One of the eminent attendees was renowned novelist and poet Vikram Seth. He said, “I discovered I had a connection with Shillong, which I didn’t realise till 5 minutes ago. Tagore apparently was in Shillong and it was the basis of inspiration of his book ‘Shesher Kobita’, or the last poem.”
The poems from this book were read by his mother before Vikram Seth was born. He praised the atmosphere of Shillong, the cherry blossoms, and added that one need not compare Shillong with any other city of the west.
Seth termed Shillong as Kyoto of the West while delivering a special address during the inaugural ceremony reflecting on the universality of literature and its ability to bridge cultures and communities.
Another noted guest at the lit fest was columnist and writer Shobha De. Terming it as the “prettiest” lit fest that she has ever attended, De also praised chief minister Conrad Sangma, saying, “How lucky is the state of Meghalaya to have a chief minister who is multi-talented, so cool, who just connects with the youth and takes so much pride in the cultural identity of the state.”
The chief minister inaugurated the three-day lit fest in presence of tourism minister Paul Lyngdoh, eminent authors, columnists, and officials at iconic Ward’s Lake, currently adorned in Cherry Blossoms.
Lyngdoh highlighted the gap between human achievements and the divine, emphasizing the role of literature, poetry, and the written word in bridging this divide and aspiring towards the ethereal.
In his address, the chief minister said, “The lit fest aims to bring together writers and provide a canvas for the youth to engage, exemplified by initiatives like the Meghalaya Grassroots Movement Program (MGMP).”
In coming years, the festival will not only be confined to literature, but different aspects of fine arts, he said.
“We are hopeful that through initiatives like this we would not only encourage the habit of jotting down things, but also, coupled with CM Research Scholars’ Programme, promote a healthy research and documentation on the people and culture of Meghalaya,” he said.
Commissioner & secretary (Tourism) Dr Vijay Kumar D and tourism director Cyril VD Diengdoh also addressed the occasion.
As the day progressed, the festival unfolded a series of engaging sessions featuring eminent authors, artists, and thinkers, promising an unforgettable experience for all attendees.
Highlights from Day 1 included an array of insightful sessions with eminent personalities like Vikram Seth, Shobha De, Jerry Pinto, Kynoham S Nongkynrih, Sabir Hussain, Arupjyoti Saikia, and Amabel Susngi, among others.
The sessions started with “Folklore as Fiction: The Haunting World of ‘The Distaste of the Earth’”, where Kynpham S Nongkynrih delved into folklore’s transformation into fiction alongside Kanishka Gupta.
The session “For the Love of Travel” saw Sabir Hussain and David Laitphlang engaging in a vibrant discussion on the transformative power of travel narratives.
Equally captivating was “Ha YupiamkaBei (On Mother’s Lap): Talk and Play”, where Amabel Susngi and Daryll Diengdoh explored cultural connections through storytelling.
Vikram Seth returned to the spotlight with “A Suitable Author: Reading & Reminiscences”, where he engaged with Malavika Banerjee to explore his iconic works and the art of storytelling. \
Another literary highlight was Jerry Pinto’s session, “The Education of Yuri”, where he shared insights into his creative process, joined by Janice Pariat in an enriching dialogue.
The evening took an exciting turn with “DeLight”, a much-anticipated session featuring Shobhaa De in conversation with Jerry Pinto.
The day concluded with a mesmerizing musical performance by the artists of Meghalaya Grassroots Music Project, a significant step toward promoting the youth and musicians of Meghalaya.
