Until about 15 years ago, there was a palpable distance between an author and a reader. Communication happened via personal letters, letters to publishers, editors, and occasional telephone calls. Sometimes, fans would travel for miles to their favourite author’s home, just for an autograph. Today, the situation is very different. In a small state like Kerala, there were three major literature festivals in the last two months alone – Wayanad Literature Festival (WLF), Kerala Literature Festival (KLF), and Kerala Legislative International Book Festival (KLIBF) – all of which were very well received. Despite living in a smart-phone led era of dwindling attention span, Kerala still seems to indulge in the old-world charm of reading and gathering to enjoy literature-based conversations.
“Kerala has built a culture around reading and watching movies for a long time. There are high waves and low waves. In the 1960s leading up to the 1990s, there was a high wave, followed by a lull. Now, there seems to be a high wave again where the sales of books are high, and movie production and watching have gripped the masses once again. Naturally, literature festivals are a new way of getting people together,” says senior journalist Vinod K Jose, who was also the director of the WLF, a first-of-its-kind literature festival in Kerala’s Wayanad that concluded in December last year. The WLF had an exciting list of visiting dignitaries, including Booker Prize-winning author Arundhati Roy.
DC Books and Mathrubhumi were pioneers in organising literature festivals in Kerala, followed by many other publishers and organisations, both small and large. The KLF, held in partnership with DC Kizhakemuri Foundation, spanning four days on the beaches of Kozhikode, concluded on January 15. The five-day KLIBF was held from January 10-15, with more than a hundred publishers and writers participating in panel discussions, book releases, and literary interactions. The Mathrubhumi literature festival, also called the Mathrubhumi International Festival of Letters, is scheduled to be held between February 2-5, 2023 at Thiruvananthapuram. While KLF had a hybrid of online and offline interactions featuring authors from across the globe, the Mathrubhumi lit fest too promises great sessions, curated by author and journalist Sabin Iqbal. Some of these festivals can be accessed free of cost, while others have a registration fee.
Literature has always been intimately connected to Kerala’s public sphere. Authors are revered in the state and the literary movement has constantly interacted and evolved with society. “The first literature festival I attended was in Jaipur in 2014 as far as I can recall, and since then, the number of lit fests across the country has only increased,” says Kendra Sahitya Akademi Award-winning author KR Meera, who is an active presence at most literature festivals, especially in Kerala.
“Kerala has a very genuine interest in literature. In fact, not just literature, but film festivals and other cultural events also see overwhelming participation in the state. Especially after the pandemic-induced lockdowns, I feel we crave to come together and interact with like-minded people. Literature festivals facilitate that,” she observes.
A very interesting aspect of most literature festivals in Kerala, and across the country, is that they are not limited to the fiction genre alone. Lit fests discuss non-fiction, current affairs, politics, gender, and much more. The panellists and guests include writers from various disciplines like history, anthropology, journalism, and science, apart from novelists and poets. This has greatly helped in democratising literature and making authors as well as ideas more accessible.
“The publishing industry in Kerala is very active. We have rich literature and an audience ready to listen to new perspectives. These factors help facilitate an open dialogue, both in the form of appreciation and critiques, making lit fests very interesting. This is also why a lot of authors like to come to Kerala for these events,” says Mayura Shreyams Kumar, one of the festival directors of the upcoming Mathrubhumi lit fest.
KR Meera recalls the times early in her career when there were no literature festivals. “There was no opportunity to meet authors even as a reader. Most public functions would have at least one author as a guest because authors were that integral to the socio-political life in our state. Compared to other states, I think Kerala has many periodicals that publish serialised novels and launch new authors frequently. Authors were therefore close to readers through stories, but interacting in person was not easy,” she says.
Literature festivals not only put readers and book lovers in touch with authors but also give authors themselves the opportunity to meet and get to know each other. “I have met many authors writing in different tongues across the country at literature festivals. Otherwise, for a Malayali author like me, what opportunity is available to interact with them?” Meera adds.
Open forums are one of the main attractions of literature festivals, drawing people across age groups. At a time when the younger generation is increasingly derided for lacking the reading habit, the large turnout of youth at literature festivals is a pleasant sight.
Literary critic and regular festival-goer Adarsh Onnat says that social media has played a crucial role in bringing together people in physical spaces. “Today, people are more connected with their favourite authors through social media, and it is easier for them to feel like they want to meet them in person at lit fests,” he says, noting that interactions at open forums have become more fluid because of the familiarity authors with readers have through social media platforms.
Meera also feels that literature festivals have been un-stereotyping the youth. “We keep complaining that youngsters do not read these days. Literature festivals prove otherwise. They are predominantly filled with young participants, especially women, who I feel are leading us as a society in many ways,” she observes. She also adds that the presence of women and transgender individuals in literary interactions at these festivals shows that these spaces are becoming more gender inclusive than before. “Earlier, women did not have too many opportunities to converse about literature. It was a man’s world mostly. Now, we see women and trans individuals in lit fests being vocal about their concerns and politics, which is extremely important and pioneering,” she says.
The growing interest in literature festivals can also be explained by the ways in which people perceive such physical spaces. There is a sense of belonging and safety that participants and delegates experience at such events.
Speaking about the kind of crowds that can be seen at lit fests, Dr Vinod Jose says, “There are three kinds of crowds. First, the ones who come after having read the authors. They have questions in mind and curiosity or admiration for their authors. Second, there are people who come because they see a cultural programme or a film celebrity or find the venue attractive. Thirdly, there are people who come because they think that’s the right crowd to be seen in, they may not have necessarily read the authors. The audience that builds up society is the first. The second is not harmful and offers the possibility of moving tomorrow to the first. But the third isn’t adding much value to culture except to convince the advertisers of the presence of a premium target group.”
Upon being asked about managing crowds and ensuring physical security, Mayura says that they make specific efforts to sensitise the organising team and volunteers. “When people come to such gatherings, they trust us with their personhood and time. So we take all measures to make sure they feel comfortable. We seek help from the government, police force, fire and safety department, and also have ambulances on call,” she says.
Apart from fostering engagement, lit fests also push authors to renew themselves and stay ahead of the curve. “When so many festivals happen, we become conscious as writers to also not get repetitive. That also helps us to innovate and make sure we do not become stuck in dated ideas of life and literature,” says Meera. “There is this ‘occupational hazard’ that sometimes these events are sponsored by people with political and commercial interests that we often write against. Nonetheless, such forums are important. After all, literature festivals are all about words and stories, so it is always a pleasure to engage in them, no matter how frequent,” she notes.