The first Seemanchal International Literary Festival (SILF) kicks off tomorrow, November 18, at Insan School, Kishanganj. Its main organiser, author Zafar Anjum, spoke with Twocircles.net about how the idea came to him, and what were the challenges that he had to face in organising the first-of-its-kind literature festival in Seemanchal.
When was the idea for the Seemanchal festival conceived in your head?
The idea came to me as early as 2013 in Singapore. Although I had moved thousands of miles away from home, the memories had never left me. I grew up in the region, and in a rich history of literature. This was the place where the iconic Phanishwar Nath ‘Renu’ was born; but off late the area has not produced much literature that has caught attention. I was of the opinion that if we could get a literature festival in this region, it would be a massive boost to the local literature along with bringing in eminent litterateurs from across the country.
Why did you pick the Seemanchal region for the literature festival?
As I said, I belong to this region, so there was the emotional connect. But more importantly, it was an attempt to shed light on areas that have always been considered backward. Initially, when I thought of a literature festival in South Asia, it dawned upon us that almost all the regions had literature festivals anyway. Even in India, these kind of festivals have for long been conducted. But the biggest issue for me was that in India, almost all literature festivals are either held in big cities (Delhi, Bangalore) or tourist-friendly places like Jaipur and Goa. So, I decided to toy with the idea of doing one such festival in Seemanchal, so that it breaks the concept of festivals being associated with only famous places. Of course, it was easier said than done.
Given the fact that the festival would be in Seemanchal and you live in Singapore, how did your arrange the logistics?
Yes, as I said, it was an idea that started in 2013. Over the next three years, I discussed the idea within my network, my friends, college mates who were also from the region. I soon realised that it was not just my dream; but a collective one. We got together, I pitched in a substantial amount of money but was also helped by the generosity of my friends; we set up a team in Seemanchal that took care of the local logistics. Of course, this wouldn’t have been possible without the support of Insan School, my alma mater. We also realised that since this was in a rural setting, we were unlikely to get much corporate support. However, we have managed to overcome these barriers, and hopefully we have set up a model that can be replicated in other, smaller towns of the country too.
How was the response from the authors and other literary figures?
As an author myself, I of course know quite a few literary figures who are coming here; and yes, knowing them personally helped. The response in general was very encouraging and we got a big thumbs up from the Hindi and Urdu literary figures for such an initiative. We also asked some ‘big’ authors to participate; they never responded. The location could very well be a reason, but I do not think much about that. For the authors coming here, I also told them that Darjeeling was close by; so they could go there too after the festival! I am sure that helped. (Laughs)
How has the local response been to the festival?
I came here only on Sunday, so I have been depending largely on the feedback from our Seemanchal team. I have noticed that at least before the festival, there is a high level of interest among all the schools and colleges in the area. I cannot say the same about the local population also, but we are advertising and putting up banners across the region, so hopefully it will have a positive impact. It is also important to point out to the locals that a literature festival like this can be a good boost to the economy in the coming years, and that it presents a positive side of the region. I am sure the locals will participate too, and hopefully the event will be memorable for all who are attending the festival.
Related:
Seemanchal International Literary Festival to be held in Kishanganj