A pot pourri of ideas and opinions were expressed at the discussion forum on day one of the Kovalam Literary Festival which began at the Kanakakunnu Palace here on Saturday.
Subjects as varied as human rights to energy economics, Indian English novel and pulp fiction came to the fore as some of the titans of modern Indian writing came together to assess the literary scene.
Social activist Binayak Sen, who delivered the fifth annual K C John Memorial Lecture, made an impassioned plea to pre-empt the threat of an impending famine looming over India.
He said that the disaster would be the result of skewed policies than a shortage of food.
Author and academician Illina Sen participated in a talk moderated by lawyer and human rights activist Vrinda Grover.
An engaging discussion on the evolving Indian novel by writers Farrukh Dhondy, Timeri Murari, N S Madhavan, Nilanjana Roy, C P Surendran and anchored by journalist Suresh Menon, brought forth some pertinent issues around writing, publishing and the role of media in promoting the growth of fiction.
British Indian author Farrukh Dhondy traced the evolution of the novel from the times of Jane Austen, Rudyard Kipling and Henry Fielding.
“In books like Tom Jones, the idea was to travel and write about what you saw,” he said.
He argued that Indian writing had few places to look for directions about what is good writing.
Malayalam author N S Madhavan, began by posing the question whether the umbrella term ‘Indian writing’ could be applied even to fiction written in vernacular languages within India or if it was just restricted to Indian writing in English.
He said, “Reality is becoming a form of entertainment. Writers, poets in particular, are called upon to comment on contemporary issues. The writer is increasingly becoming a journalist in Kerala."
Nilanjana Roy read passages from her debut novel ‘The Wildings’, Murari from his new work ‘The Taliban Cricket Club’and C P Surendran from his novel ‘Lost and Found’.
Among the other highlights of the day was the launch of Biman Nath’s historical fiction ‘The Tattooed Fakir’. The author went on to discuss Colonial India in Indian writing with Naresh Fernandes whose ‘Taj Mahal Fox Trot’ reflects on the jazz culture in Mumbai during the 1940s and 50s.
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