A two-day literature festival was held in the Tricity over the weekend. Chandigarh Literary Society’s brainchild called ‘Literati’ which made its debut in 2013, saw 35 authors in different languages such as Hindi, English and Punjabi come together to discuss all things literary this year.
Many stalwarts in the world of literature as well as celebrities who have authored books were spotted at the event. These included Gurcharan Das, Rana Safvi, Divya Dutta and Vikram Sampath.
The event was organised in collaboration with the Chandigarh administration, the Chandigarh Sahitya Akademi, the Haryana Sahitya Akademi and the Haryana government.
The two-day long event kickstarted with a kavi samelan at the Indraprastha Auditorium in Panchkula which was followed by seminars, book launches and discussions held at the Lake Club in Chandigarh.
The topics under discussion were varied and kept the audience engaged throughout. While scholars like Rana Safvi, Affan Yesvi, Peerzada Syed Altamash Nizami and Dr Surjit Patar spoke on Sufi and mystical influences of our country, another interesting panel on the first day of the event spoke on the confluence of politics and media which had speakers such as writer and Congressman Rasheed Kidwai and AAP MP Raghav Chadha who were in conversation with the Resident Editor of Hindustan Times, Chandigarh, Ramesh Vinayak.
Bollywood actor Divya Dutta was also in conversation with Saguna Jain on the second day in a session which was called ‘The Stars in Divya’s Sky’. While at the session, Divya Dutta shared with the audience that if one really desires something, the universe conspires to bring it to you, adding that it was her dream to be introduced in the film industry by famous filmmaker Yash Chopra, and while that did not transpire, it was her supporting role in his movie Veer- Zaara that got her the recognition she had always desired.
She also shared her hesitation on getting the role of Shabbo in Veer-Zara with the audience members present and said, “With Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan and Preity Zinta in the film, I was skeptical whether I would be noticed at all. During the screening, my hands were cold, as I was sure that I would only be offered ‘best friend’ roles from here on, but when we left the theatre, everyone wanted to know who I was.”
Book launches at the Lit Fest
There were also book launches at the two-day literary festival. One book that saw its launch was from the Tricity’s own author Chetna Keer. Books that were launched included IAS officer Gauri Parasher Joshi’s ‘Flight of the Golden Eagle and Other Stories”, Lily Swarn’s poetry anthology ‘A Passionate Affair with Trees’ and Chetna Keer’s ‘Giddha on My Gulmohar’.
Symphony, an anthology by young authors from Manav Rachna International School, Mohali, and The Pursuit, a student magazine, were also launched.
On the sidelines of the event Keer, who launched her book ‘Giddha on my Gulmohar’, shared with CityWoofer that she had penned the literary work while staying in Kasauli. She said, “After attending literary events in other cities, this event in Chandigarh was like coming back to my maika (parent’s home) for me.”
About Chandigarh Literary Society
The Chandigarh Literary Society (CLS) is a not-for-profit registered body formed with the aim of promoting literature and creative writing in the region. The Chandigarh Literary Society serves as a network of creative minds, nurturing talent and bringing together writers, publishers, intellectuals, students and scholars. It organizes local, regional, national and international level workshops, meetings, conferences, interactive events and competitions.
You can also become a member by filling and submitting the membership forms. The fee is as follows:
Life Membership : Rs 5,000 (One time)
Institutional Membership : Rs 10,000 (One time)
Student Membership : Rs 200 per annum
Contact: Chandigarh Literary Society
1536, Sector 34B, Chandigarh
chandigarhliterary@gmail.com
