Organisers of Hyderabad Literary Festival-2015 rue lack of funds

HYDERABAD: Think of a literary festival and the first image that comes to mind is a gathering of writers discussing their latest works with a motley group of enthusiastic readers as audience. But cut to reality, and the definition of a lit fest seems far removed from what it ideally implies.
Authors aren’t the only ‘stars’ of these events anymore and a recently released book is no longer the only common thread binding all participants together.Or so it seems from a quick scan of the list of speakers scheduled to troop into the city on Friday, to be part of the fifth edition of Hyderabad Literary Festival-2015.
Only a fraction of these speakers have a new book to their credit, and the number of published writers too is not very impressive. Add to that poor representation of vernacular authors, especially from the city.
So what’s ailing the lit fest at home? Organisers attribute it to the lack of funds and rue the shortage of writers here, a claim which is vehemently denied by Hyderabad’s literature enthusiasts.
“We understand that a lit fest should ideally comprise authors who have recently released a book or have one in the offing. But it is impossible make the event exclusively about such writers, as our budget is limited,” said an organizer, justifying the move to rope in authors whose last books hit the stands several years ago.
But if that be the case, then what explains the exclusion of eminent names from Hyderabad? The likes of Padma Shri Mujtaba Hussain or Sahitya Akademi Award winner M Bhoopal Reddy for instance?
“It’s not like I am complaining, but it is disheartening to see the poor representation of local writers in the festival. Many of the participants don’t seem to have anything to do with literature,” said Hussain, an eminent humourist and globally renowned writer while expressing shock over the names of Urdu authors like Jeelani Bano and Anwar Moazzam missing from this year’s list. That the language in focus this time is Urdu, is another story.
“The problem lies in the fact that literature now has become synonymous with English. Writings in regional languages no longer attract readers,” said Reddy who was honoured with the prestigious award in 2011 for his children’s short stories in Telugu.
In the face of such criticism about the dearth of ‘qualified speakers’, organisers argue how the three-day event has more to it than just literature. “It is about bringing together various art forms and their proponents. That is how any lit fest is curated these days. They aren’t just limited to published writings,” explained Ajay Gandhi, another organiser.
Critical voices notwithstanding, the city is indeed looking forward to this extended weekend, when the Hyderabad Public School will play host to an exhaustive list of guests from both within and outside India. The inaugural ceremony on Friday evening will be marked by the presence of renowned lyricist and poet Javed Akhtar, among others.
In the days that follow, Hyderabadis will see the likes of Bollywood director Mahesh Bhatt, former CBFC chief Leela Samson, journalist and author Paranjoy Guha Thakurta and actor Tom Alter take centrestrage and discuss various aspects of art, culture and literature. With Poland as the guest nation, a sizable delegation of authors from the country is also expected to participate in the three-day fest.
The likes of Padma Shri Mujtaba Hussain and Sahitya Akademi Award winner M Bhoopal Reddy have been excluded from the lit fest. Urdu authors Jeelani Bano and Anwar Moazzam are also missing from this year’s list. That the language in focus this time is Urdu, is another story.