Curtains came down on the third edition of Tata Steel Jharkhand Literary Meet on Sunday with queen of pop Usha Uthup talking about her biography Ullas Ki Naav and veteran actor Pankaj Kapur reading out excerpts from his debut novel Dopehri.
Earlier in the day, author Ruskin Bond engaged a huge audience at Audrey House in Ranchi during a session titled “Once Upon a Crime” and narrated how he developed his narrative and characters by drawing inspiration from his surroundings and the people he came across.
Comparing his detective stories with those of the critically acclaimed thriller writers like Arthur Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie, the literary icon said: “My stories are in no way as thrilling as theirs.”
The author then highlighted the importance of the detective’s assistant — often considered less intelligent — in acting as a bridge between the characters and the readers.
In the session called “The Rainbow In The Closet” Afghanistan-born writer Nemat Sadat and fellow authors Sandip Roy and Raga D’Silva discussed the struggles of the LGBTQ community.
Sharing their personal ordeals, the writers explained how a patriarchal society was hostile to anyone who didn’t conform to the established notions about gender and sexuality.
The discussion also highlighted how such people have to endure a lifetime of exile.
In other sessions that followed, Hindi novelist and poet Mahadev Toppo and contemporary author Gourhari Das discussed how translation could help literature escape the boundaries of a language.
The session wrapped up with Indian spoken word poet Hussain Haidry reciting some of his creations followed by Vandana Tete and Raga D’Silva.
Singer Usha Uthup enthralled the audience with nuggets from her book that recounts her prolific career. With her trademark verve and vivacity she sang around a dozen songs that include Rambha ho ho and Ajeeb daastan hain yeh.
“The organisers must be congratulated for not only holding the meet but organising a session on the LBGTQ issues,” said Ajay Kumar Jha, a senior English teacher.
Tata Steel’s chief of communications Kulvin Suri said the steel major was proud of its association with events that not only bring communities together but also give them a platform to engage and interact. “I'm happy to see that the literary meet is growing in popularity every year,” he said.
