In the landscape of Shillong’s picturesque, cherry blossom-lined Ward’s Lake, conversations on literature flowed, spilled and beguiled literary enthusiasts for three days, November 18 to 20. Though a smattering of North-East’s cultural bounty, a host of food, wine and handicraft stalls serving Khasi specialties became an auxiliary centrepoint where these conversations took an informal tone off-stage and were occasionally accompanied with swigs of Cherrapunji gin and rice beer.

No wonder then, author-poet Vikram Seth mentioned in his inaugural address: “I was only told last night that I have to speak, which I think was very unfair since I hate speaking. I think I should lay down two conditions: a bottle of rice beer in one hand and a sprig of cherry blossom in the other. Unfortunately, I have been provided with neither, but I think I would treat this shawl around my neck as a kind of earnest of future things to come.”

He said, “I discovered I had a connection with Shillong, which I didn’t realise till five minutes ago. Tagore apparently was in Shillong and it was the basis of the inspiration for his book Shesher kobita, or The Last Poem, which my mother read when she was pregnant with me.”  He adds, “I came here by chance. I was perfectly happy writing my novel when a friend sort of kidnapped me and took me off to Arunachal Pradesh for two weeks. I didn’t want to go back to Delhi without visiting the seven sisters. I wanted to go to Manipur, but I was advised against it. It’s odd to be here where everything is full of cherry blossoms, peace and singing CMs and have this curious feeling of being in two places, one where there’s a lot of bloodshed and the other where all one can think about is the ineptitude of driving and the beauty of cherry blossom.”

Columnist and writer Shobha De termed the lit fest as the “prettiest” lit fest that she has ever attended. Highlights from the first day included an array of sessions by 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 author Kynpham S Nongkynrih delved into folklore’s transformation into fiction alongside Kanishka Gupta, who set up literary agency Writer’s Side in 2010.

Vikram 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. Admittedly, he is writing A Suitable Girl the release date of which is under wraps, because he does not wish to “jinx it” by assigning a deadline to it. The evening also featured De Light, a session that saw Shobhaa De in conversation with Jerry Pinto.

Following an attendance of over 3,500 people in various sessions on the first day, the second day of the festival concluded with a footfall of over 5,000 people.

It featured a session on culture and heritage, with a special focus on the launch of the Meghalaya Listing Document. This conversation, moderated by Dr Madeline Y Tham, featured Ramona Sangma, Hannah Lahlanpuii, Ankush Saikia, and Sanjoy Hazarika, who emphasised the significance of discussing the tangible and intangible heritage of Meghalaya. Ramona Sangma remarked, “The Meghalaya Listing Document will be an integral tool for the protection and promotion of the culture and traditions of Meghalaya.”

Anita Agnihotri took the stage to discuss her latest book, A Touch of Salt, which was followed by a session on translation titled Transcending Boundaries. Literary figures Yeshe Dorjee Thongchi and Moushumi Kandali engaged in a thought-provoking conversation with Moushumi Chakraborty. Offering advice to young writers, Thongchi stated, “Keep writing, and keep reading. The more you read, the better a writer you become.”

Another session on Indigenous Voices of Northeast India provided insights into the region’s stories and perspectives. Streamlet Dkhar, in conversation with Bikash Roy Debbarma, Anil Kumar Boro, and Basan Marak, stressed the importance of documenting and safeguarding indigenous languages and narratives in the face of modernity’s encroachments. 

Avner Pariat
| Photo Credit:
Special arrangement

In a tribute to Khasi literature, Avner Pariat and Sasanbha Lytan presented Ki Sngi Thame U Hynñiewtrep, a compilation of Khasi poems that capture the essence of the region. 

Another highlight of the day was the discussion and launch of The Chicken Who Flew to Canada, authored by Abie Alexander and illustrated by Dr Benedict Hynniewta. Following which, Autumn Winds, featuring Madhu Raghavendra and Nabina Das, captivated the audience by reciting their poems and reflecting on the boundless nature of creativity.

The festival concluded with The Lighthouse Family, a conversation with Firat Sunel, ambassador of Türkiye, moderated by Cyril V D Diengdoh, director of tourism, Government of Meghalaya. Firat gave an eloquent introduction to his book where he took the audience to the “historical fiction set against the backdrop of Second World War.”

The session Words on Screen: Bollywood x Northeast, featuring Nicholas Kharkongor, director of Axone, and Nancy Nisa Beso in conversation with Mayank Shekhar, explored the intricate relationship between the film industry and the representation of Northeast India.

The magic of storytelling came alive during the session: The Power and Magic of Oral Storytelling, where Desmond Kharmawphlang engaged in a spirited discussion with Janet Dkhar. Desmond said, “There is a misconception that all the epics are written. There are these amazingly long complex stories which are not characteristic as epics as they are not there in the written version”, reflecting on oral storytelling in the Garo hills and Jaintia Hills of Meghalaya.

On the last day, the footfall grew to over 15,000 people. But going back to the first day, one kept pondering over Vikram’s inaugural speech, where he braved an unpopular opinion: “When I was in a sulk, thinking that I have to speak, I thought to myself that this would be the entirety of my speech: Reading and writing are both intensely private activities. So, all this public tamasha is absolutely pointless and you should go home immediately and read a book. But, please don’t take my advice. That’s my advice to you.”

The writer was in Shillong on the invitation of the Department of Tourism, Government of Meghalaya.