Writers who send in their manuscripts to publishers can hope that they are actually read and evaluated. A lot of the better manuscripts are edited, polished, advertised and marketed in such a manner that they fly off the bookshelves. Plenty of writers earn enviable royalties; a few of them even make a living out of their books.[break]
But the catch is that there are barely a handful of such writers. The rest of us have to struggle – first for the inspiration, then for the publisher, the readers, the reviews. It is highly likely that the manuscripts of lesser mortals will still end up in deserted trashcans. Bookselling is, after all, a risky proposition, especially for a market as tiny as ours.
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This just underlines the fact that reading and writing are not reliable professions, nor even considered fruitful vocations.
In such a context, is it really worthwhile to hold a literature festival? Does it even serve a purpose in a country where we need to think twice (and sometimes ten times) before splurging on a book? To bring together writers and thinkers at great efforts and expenses, when all they actually do is talk?
The answer, at least for literature enthusiasts like me, would always be a resounding yes. And I will explain why.
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It must have been four years ago when I attended a discussion on writing, with Samrat Upadhyaya as one of the speakers. I was not really expecting to come away with anything except a recollection of their experiences. Strange, then, that a simple thing the writer said has stayed with me all these years. Answering a query about why his books worked while far more talented writers were struggling with theirs, he said something to this effect: “Because I actually wrote my books instead of sitting around thinking of them.”
That struck a chord in me, who always had such brilliant plots in my mind that I knew they were going to be masterpieces when I crafted them. It was just that I had not attempted them yet. That day, I came home and actually wrote a whole story, which, however, did not turn out to be one-tenth as beautiful as it had seemed in my mind. This made me understand that I could never aspire to write if I thought and never wrote. Time and again, this is the idea that motivates me to bring out my pen and paper. Although it does not always pay, and is not always what I want it to be, writing remains one of the biggest pleasures in my life, something I would immediately recommend everyone else to try their hand at.
If one sentence I listened to offhandedly could have such an effect in my life, imagine that effect multiplied a hundred times, a thousand times. This ripple effect is what makes a literature festival worthwhile.
Fresh on our minds will be the recently concluded Nepal Literature Festival. Whether it was two bankers discussing leadership qualities, a grossly underrated writer talking eloquently on why we need to retrieve love stories from the rut they have gotten into, an MBA graduate sharing tips to best market even an ordinary book, or writers arguing on whether or not glamour is enough to sell books – there were so many ideas that we could immediately grasp and relate to.
And then there was the sheer pleasure of attending the festival. Listening to poems and shayari and well-thought quotes from people we probably admired from afar. The amalgamation of the vibrant differences that make up a society – that was what made up the core of the rejoicing.
Because literature is not only literature; it is the society we live in. It is made up of all these ideas, issues and personalities which may sometimes have little to do with hardcore literature, but all of which are woven into a wonderful tapestry that will appeal to literature lovers. And when we listen to and interact with such influential personalities, perhaps even our ideals, on books, writing, creativity and life in general, it is a real inspiration. It is a reconfirmation that the world of books is an excellent one to be in: Meeting likeminded readers and writers, networking, exchanging ideas and opinions, arguing hotheadedly and then sitting together peacefully – where else could it happen so naturally? Such celebrations, then, are a reassurance to bookaholics, nerds and wordsmiths that there is a community out there appreciating and looking forward to our efforts at all times.
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And finally, there will always be four kinds of audience in a gathering of litterateurs. The first kind will be cynical and snide about everything; will point out where the curtains have dropped and which of the literary experts are missing. They will trash every session and criticize each speaker until they have everyone around them convinced that such gatherings are a wasteful venture. The second group is the truly passionate bibliophiles who will attend every session, appreciate almost all of them, and generally be more enthusiastic than the organizers. The third group of audience will be the balanced lot, a pleasure to have anywhere. They will make intelligent, calculated criticisms, point out areas for improvement, debate on interesting issues, and make the entire event so much richer.
I am, however, most interested in the fourth kind of audience – the young, the uninitiated, the ones who have often not been introduced to the mysteries of books. I believe that this is the group any literary meet should really be reaching out to. In a world where books are being replaced at an alarming pace by a huge number of distractions, these are the would-be readers and writers and thinkers who need to be gently shown the magic of the bookish universe. It is our responsibility to ensure that they understand the beauty and glamour of books and adopt it as their own.
And this cannot be a solitary effort. No single writer, reader, publisher, bookseller or booklover can motivate such a huge mass to take to books. That is the advantage of a literature festival: reaching out to an unprecedented number of people, showing them what books can do to you, the way they transform thoughts and opinions and lives. A thousand people could suggest a million better ways to build a literary culture, but a literary gathering is the foundation for all of that.
There will always be naysayers and dismissive stances towards an event of this kind. But then, it is high time we celebrated literature in every single way it is possible to.
bh.richa@gmail.com
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