Lit meets give little space for exchanging ideas: Author

Eminent Bengali writer Sirshendu Mukhopadhyay today said literary fests gave little space for exchanging ideas and urged the writers to use the platform for deliberating on issues faced by them.

It is crucial for authors to find out what the readers wanted from them, only then they would be able to deliver, Mukhopadhyay said after inaugurating the fifth edition of three-day Kolkata Literature Festival at the International Kolkata Book Fair ground here.

"Many important names attend present-day literary events. They are put up in hotels and their discussions are usually time-bound. They don't get the chance to have prolonged informal talks beyond the schedules, that space is missing," the 82-year old author said.
 

Mukhopadhyay, the writer of bestsellers like 'Ghunpoka', 'Jao Pakhi', 'Manabjomin', said he had his doubts if literary festivals could give authors coming from different parts of the world a podium to hold intensive dialogues.

"I am not very sure whether literary festivals really give scope to participating writers from different countries to have intensive dialogues on issues faced by them," the author said.

The Sahitya Akademi Award recipient also said that as a writer he tried to connect with the society at all times.

"Also there is the competition we face as present day writers from the works of Balmiki, Vyasa, Homer, Dostoyevsky and Tolstoy. The readers have access to epics and classics as well as modern day literary works," Mukhopadhyay said.

Russian Publisher Alena Novokshonova, who was present at the inauguration, said there was lack of awareness among the readers about the works of present day regional writers.

Talking about the changing reader base in her country, she said short stories and fictions in Russian language now enjoyed more popularity than non-fiction among the readers there.

Sixty-five writers, publishers, columnists, bloggers from different countries were attending the three-day literary meet at the book fair. The meet will include book reading sessions, debates, panel discussions, art sessions and musical performances, festival director Sujata Sen said.