As the chronicles of time gracefully turn their leaves, behold the annual metamorphosis of the city of joy into the city of words, heralding the eagerly awaited arrival of the Tata Steel Kolkata Literary Meet! Once more, the city adorns itself with the mantle of literature, beckoning wordsmiths, storytellers and luminaries of thought from distant realms to converge and orchestrate a harmonious symphony of ideas.
Slated to take place from 23-27 January this year, the 12th edition of the Tata Steel Kolkata Literary Meet will feature distinguished speakers, including a Nobel Literature Laureate, a Booker Prize winner, a Jnanpith awardee, a former Editor of one of India’s most celebrated newspapers, and other renowned authors and dignitaries engaging in sessions and interacting with the readers.
Talking to The Statesman, director of the Tata Steel Kolkata Literary Meet, Malavika Banerjee, said, “This year, we have focused on trying to make it even more diverse than we normally do. This pertains to the array of topics we address, the regions from which we feature our authors and the diverse audience we aim to engage through our festival.”
In a realm where intellect engages in a ballet with imagination, and the quill gracefully waltzes with the parchment, the Kolkata Literary Meet transcends the boundaries of a mere event; it transforms into a literary carnival, a splendid gathering for the erudite aficionados of literature.
“It is the Kolkata Literary Meet, that celebrates the love for art and literature in this hallowed melting pot of culture. It is an iconic event which allows the culturally inclined Calcuttans to have an immersive experience with revered and budding literary personalities,” expressed Biswadeep Sengupta, a fellow member of the avid readers’ club, and an IT strategy consultant by profession.
For these avid readers, it transcends the commonplace notion of an event; it transforms into a literary pilgrimage, a sacred odyssey into the ethereal domains of imagination and intellect. The contemplation of engaging in dialogues with wordsmiths who have intricately woven their dreams is sufficient to elevate the essence of any bibliophile. The anticipation can easily mirror the sensation of unwrapping a gift, shrouded in uncertainty regarding its contents, yet resolute in the certainty of the joy it conceals within its folds.
The meet is set to take place at the Victoria Memorial grounds with honourable governor of West Bengal, CV Ananda Bose, inaugurating the event. Adding to the distinguished assembly, the Guest of Honour for this literary gathering will be Nobel Laureate Abdulrazak Gurnah. As part of the literary discourse, Mr Gurnah will engage in a conversation with Nilanjana S Roy, delving into a discussion on his celebrated works, Paradise and By The Sea, among other works.
The literary extravaganza is set to host an impressive array of speakers, including the distinguished Booker Prize winner, Damon Galgut, Sudha Murthy, Sebastian Faulks and Amitav Ghosh. Making her debut at the festival, Sudha Murthy will delve into the captivating realms of multilingualism and literature, offering fresh insights. Another first-timer, Damon Galgut, will share his perspectives on the transformation of South Africa in the post-apartheid era, drawing from his celebrated novels.
Amitav Ghosh, a familiar face at the festival, will return to dissect his recent work, Smoke and Ashes, and will participate in a panel discussion with Bangladeshi author Kazi Ashraf, exploring the nuances of the River Padma.
The author of Birdsong, Sebastian Faulks, alongside Sri Lankan writer Ashok Ferrey, will grace the festival with their presence, adding further diversity to the literary meet. The festival is not just a haven for literary giants; it opens its doors to voices from various domains, featuring speakers such as designer Tarun Tahiliani, advertising maestro Prahlad Kakar, corporate leader-author Gurcharan Das and journalist-author Sandip Roy.
“It is a hometown literary fest and I’ve been a part of this festival from the very first edition. So I’m always very excited about it. Everytime I moderate a session, I learn a lot from it. One of my sessions is with Tarun Tahiliani and I hope each one of us will have a lot to learn about his perspective on fashion. I also have a Nobel Laureate and a Booker Prize winner in one of my sessions and it’s not something that you get everyday. In another session, I’ll be in the panel alongside Mark Gevisser and Niladri Chatterjee, discussing queer stories across the globe,” Sandip Roy told The Statesman.
Amidst the lineup of distinguished authors, the notable presence of John Boyne, acclaimed for crafting the emotionally charged narrative of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, adds a poignant touch to the upcoming literary rendezvous. Set against the harrowing backdrop of the Holocaust during World War II, Boyne’s work has left an indelible mark on readers worldwide.
The anticipation for this session is particularly high, with festival director Ms Malavika Banerjee expressing expectations of a significant turnout from the younger generation. Having grown up immersed in the pages of this timeless classic, their presence is eagerly awaited. Ms Banerjee emphasised the concerted effort made to bring such literary stalwarts to Kolkata, with the resulting fruit being a commendable attendance.
With a spotlight on women in art, the festival plans sessions dedicated to celebrating the legacies of Amrita Sher-Gil, Meera Mukherjee and contemporary artist Jayshree Barman. Young authors, including Janice Pariat, Radhika Iyengar and Sathyarth Nayak, will bring diverse perspectives, spanning from the Ghats of Benares to journeys through time.
Mihaela Gligor and Chinmoy Guha will sit in conversation with Sagnik Bhattacharya to discuss Bengal’s influence on the writings of Romanian historian of religion and fiction writer, Mircea Eliade.
In a noteworthy addition, this edition introduces a state-of-interest segment, spotlighting Kerala this year, with speakers KR Meera and AJ Thomas contributing to the discourse.
Adding to the allure of the event is the exciting prospect of book launches. Mukund Padmanabhan, former Editor of The Hindu, is set to unveil his debut publication, The Great Flap of 1942. “The Great Flap of 1942 is a narrative history of a neglected and scarcely known period—between December 1941 and mid-1942—when all of India was caught in a state of panic. This was largely a result of the British administration’s mistaken belief that Japan was on the verge of launching a full-fledged invasion. It was a time when the Raj became unduly alarmed, when the tongue of rumour wagged wildly about Japanese prowess and British weakness, and when there was a huge and largely unmapped exodus (of Indians and Europeans) from both sides of the coastline to ‘safer’ inland regions. The book demonstrates, quite astonishingly, that the Raj cynically encouraged the exodus and contributed to the repeated cycles of rumour, panic and flight. It also reveals how the shadow of the Japanese threat influenced the course of nationalist politics, altered British attitudes towards India and charted the course towards Independence,” Mr Padmanabhan shared with The Statesman.
Engaging in a conversation about the book will be Krishnan Srinivasan, a distinguished former foreign secretary. The book launch will be graced by the esteemed presence of Gopalkrishna Gandhi, former governor of West Bengal, adding an extra layer of significance to the literary affair.
Bengali language sessions will also be conducted during the literary meet. Poet Srijato, songwriter and singer Anupan Roy, radio jockeys Agnijit Sen, and Somak Ghosh, along with orator Chandril Bhattacharya, are set to offer captivating sessions to the audience. “Attendees in Kolkata are equally enthusiastic about Bengali language sessions as they are about the English ones,” Chandril told The Statesman.
As the pages turn, the Kolkata Literary Meet continues its tradition of blending literature with performance, featuring Ismat Apa Ke Naam with Naseeruddin Shah and Ratna Pathak Shah, and Mephisto by Suman Mukhopadhyay, featuring actor Anirban Bhattacharya. Additionally, captivating productions like the Indo-Polish dance collaboration What I Have Not Seen Before by Sudarshan Chakraborty and Jacek Luminski, and Eka Anupam by Anupam Roy, will grace the festival.
The grand finale promises a musical crescendo, courtesy of classical vocalist Shubha Mudgal, bringing the curtain down on days filled with illuminating literary discussions and artistic expressions.
As the literary meet draws near, social media platforms have become a battleground of anticipation, with readers exchanging anecdotes, favourite quotes and countdowns to the D-day. Book clubs are in a frenzy, with members passionately discussing their must-reads and compiling lists of questions for the authors who will soon grace the city with their presence.
In the midst of this literary fervour, one can almost hear the collective heartbeat of the readers syncopating with the excitement that hums through the city. The Kolkata Literary Meet proves that it isn’t just an event; it is a celebration of the written word, a festival where readers come together to revel in the joy of storytelling.
The author is a journalist on the staff of The Statesman.