By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Nov 15: The vibrant atmosphere surrounding the third edition of the Shillong Literary Festival reached its zenith on the sunlit shores of Ward’s Lake during the event’s second day. Distinguished figures such as Bijoya Sawian, Janice Pariat, Streamlet Dkhar, and Naveen Kishore seized the opportunity to engage in enlightening discussions about books, publishing, marketing, and the crucial role of literary voices from the Northeast.
Commencing the day was a discourse led by Colnat B Marak, Fameline K Marak, and Semberthus A Sangma, exploring the living cultures of the Garo Hills.
The literary fervour continued with the launch of two noteworthy books: Looking East – Indian Wisdom for Modern Management by Sanjay Mukherjee, a professor at the Indian Institute of Management Shillong, and From Sylhet to Shillong by Bijoya Sawian.
Mukherjee, in his book, advocated for a harmonious blend of Western professionalism and Indian spiritual values. Sanjay Kakoty, Mukherjee’s colleague at IIM Shillong, facilitated an insightful discussion, delving into the essence of education and learning.
The book, From Sylhet to Shillong by Bijoya Sawian, beautifully captures her father’s journey, with Streamlet Dkhar, a prominent Khasi author and professor, guiding the discussion.
The literary feast continued with a panel discussion titled ‘The Book World: Writing, Market, and Platform,’ featuring publishing industry stalwarts such as Naveen Kishore, Ambar Chatterjee, Mary Therese Kurklang, Melkior Ch. Sangma, and Senthil Kumar.
Naveen Kishore of Seagull Books emphasized their commitment to testing and experimenting with readership.
The conversation explored the changing landscape of reading passion, with Ambar Sahil Chatterjee attributing a potential decline to the lack of institutional support for fostering a reading culture, that include the lack of libraries in this fast-paced world.
Addressing the importance of diversity in publishing houses, the panel offered diverse perspectives.
The subsequent session delved into the recently launched book, Monpas: Buddhists of the High Himalayas, by late Vinay Sheel Oberoi, discussed by Nandini Oberoi and Professor Kakoty.
As the sun set, the literary canvas transitioned into more serious discussions. Arghya Sengupta engaged the audience with a talk on ‘The Colonial Constitution.’
The evening’s penultimate sessions featured ‘The Cultural History of the Clinical Photograph’ presented by Ambarish Satwik and a discussion on ‘Choral Voices: Ethnographic Imaginations of Sound and Sacrality’ led by Donovan Swer, James Momin, and Sebanti Chatterjee.
Noteworthy moments included an open mic session for city poets hosted by Lalnunsanga and an insightful discussion on ‘The Nature of the Poetic’ featuring Barbara Sagma, Janice Pariat, and Naveen Kishore.