2023 Bangalore Literature Festival--A brilliant fest!
The Atta-Galatta Book Store
The 2023 Bangalore Literature Festival was a wonderful event. It was an embodiment of literature, traditional Indian music and Bangalore. The first day began with a carnatic music performance. Scintillating music and soothing Tamil compositions were a standout in the event. Sessions by authors for adults began at 10:00 am, but I decided to attend ‘Gopi stories’ by Mrs Sudha Murthy in the children's literary fest area. The narration was about her celebrity pet dog Gopi--and the stories of his adventure and life. The kids loved spending time with Gopi. As I strolled towards the adult area, the realities of life hit me with an author talking about antagonist women some of who killed their own children and the negatives of excessive social media presence. Being an Ashwin Sanghi fan, attending the session on his book, the Magicians of Mazda was for sure. He spoke about his youth and how his love for reading bloomed with the meaningful books that were gifted by his grandfather like autobiographies and Leo Tolstoy and page turners like Jeffrey Archer and Irving Wallace gifted by his mother. The blend of books shaped and inspired him, he said. Author and lawyer Gautam Bhatia and Mr Sudheer Krishnaswami Vice Chancellor NLSIU spoke about their books on the Constitution of India. Sagarika Ghose and Suhasini Haider's session on journalism was a fantastic one. In the evening, Mr. Ramachandra Guha’s session on cult personalities and democracy was insightful. The stand-up comedy show by Mr. Anuvab Pal was hilarious and fun.
The second day began with mesmerising Hindustani music. Just like the first day I began by attending Mrs Sudha Murthy's talk. It had slipped into the question and answer session by the time I ran to the location but it was worth the run. The exuberant children interacted with the ever caring Mrs Murthy. Thereafter, I hopped from one session to another, ranging from children's literature to food travel. I decided to spend the first half in the blue lounge listening to poet Ranjit Hoskote’s Icelight, which was a delight. Gautam Bhatia’s session on dystopian literature was mind blowing. The evening session had Mr Shashi Tharoor, which attracted a huge audience. One aspect to not forget was the Atta Gallatta bookstore. It was wonderful to be at the bookstore. I purchased two books by Amish :) The event was attended by Bangaloreans from all ages. I look forward to next year’s lit fest! Here are a few photos from the first day.
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