By TCN News,
New Delhi: The Seemanchal International Literary Festival (SILF), an international literary event organised by Kitaab International, Singapore, in collaboration with Insan School, Kishanganj is going to be held in Kishanganj.
Literary festivals of various hues have been creating a revolution of ideas across India in the last few years. However, most literary festivals take place only in metro cities only. This initiative is set to be a distinctive event with a new literary festival being launched in India by the people of the Seemanchal region of Bihar.
The first edition of SILF is scheduled to be held on 17-18 November, 2016 at Insan School campus in the border town Kishanganj of northern Bihar state to coincide with the golden jubilee celebration of Insan School, one of the well-known educational institutions of the region. SILF is the brainchild of Singapore-based journalist, writer, publisher and filmmaker, Zafar Anjum, who hails from Kishanganj.
“Most literary festivals take place in metro cities,” said the festival’s founder-director Anjum adding, “Through this festival, we are attempting to bring literature to the grassroots. A large part of India still lives in the villages and small towns and with an effort like SILF, we are hoping to shape the hearts and minds of people in small town India.”
“This annual literary festival celebrates the spirit of humanity through literature and is dedicated to the people of Seemanchal and the Northeastern part of India,” Anjum further said.
The birthplace of Maila Anchal and Maare Gaye Gulfam famed Hindi writer Phaneshwar Nath Renu, Seemanchal has remained a much-neglected region of northeastern Bihar. Representing the multicultural ethos of the country, the 10 million people who live in this part of India profess many faiths and speak many languages and dialects.
The region which connects the seven sisters of northeast to the rest of the country is strategically located at the intersection of Bihar and Bengal, and is surrounded by the borders of Bangladesh and Nepal.
Besides Kitaab Singapore, the management and alumni of Insan School, Kishanganj, and the book lovers of the region are putting the festival together. The British Council (Eastern India), Urdu Academy Bihar, and AP Foundation are also supporting the festival.
“SILF is also an effort to further the vision of Padma Shri late Dr. Syed Hasan, an educationist and founder of “INSAN mission”, said Shefa Syed Hasan, director of Insan School.
More than 20 writers from India and abroad have confirmed their participation in the two-day festival. Some eminent writers and speakers headlining the festival come from India, Singapore, UK and USA including Ziya Us Salam, Senior Deputy Editor of The Hindu-Frontline, Milee Ashwarya, Editor in Chief of Commercial and Business books at Penguin Random House India, Rheea Mukherjee, co- founder of Bangalore Writers Workshop and Write Leela Write, Singapore-based journalist P N Balji and Malay novelist and poet, Isa Kamari, UK-based Urdu poet Dr. Nadeem Zafar Jilani and Mumbai-based Urdu novelist Rahman Abbas, and USA based acdemic, writer and columnist Dr. Debotri Dhar.
Details of the event:
ENTRY: Free
VENUE: Insan School, Kishanganj, Bihar 855107
NEAREST RAILWAY STATION: Kishanganj Junction (KNE)
NEAREST AIRPORT: Bagdogra Airport (IXB)
TEAM: Zafar Anjum (Founder-Director), Tanzil Asif (Media Coordinator, Delhi), Riyaz Nazish (In-charge of Media Relations), Mudassir Alam (Media Coordinator, Patna)