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Tata Steel Kolkata Literary Meet, in Victoria Memorial Hall reignited enthusiasm in city of joy

End of January was surprisingly cold and the warmth of words at the Tata Steel Kolkata Literary Meet in association with Victoria Memorial Hall and in partnership with The Telegraph, made winter more endearing in the city

Farah Khatoon, Subhalakshmi Dey Published 12.02.24, 06:17 AM
Renu Roy, Laksmisree Banerjee and Ajanta Paul discussed the universality of poetry with Ashoke Viswanathan in 'Poetry Medley'. They also touched upon its existence as the genesis of literary exploration. “As Wordsworth said, poetry is emotions recollected in tranquillity. It must be refined, because poets do not exist at the crass level of reality. Their poetry always elevates itself into something more civilised,” said Paul. Viswanathan added, “We may also note the role poetry plays in fashioning one’s life. How does poetry influence a poet? And how do those people live who do not write poetry but lead poetic lives?” Roy defined poetry as elusive and nebulous. “The poem occurs to you, rather than the other way round, and it is the poem that writes itself, rather than you writing it. It is a process of plunging into one’s own self, and therefore with the world around one,” mused Renu.

Renu Roy, Laksmisree Banerjee and Ajanta Paul discussed the universality of poetry with Ashoke Viswanathan in 'Poetry Medley'. They also touched upon its existence as the genesis of literary exploration. “As Wordsworth said, poetry is emotions recollected in tranquillity. It must be refined, because poets do not exist at the crass level of reality. Their poetry always elevates itself into something more civilised,” said Paul. Viswanathan added, “We may also note the role poetry plays in fashioning one’s life. How does poetry influence a poet? And how do those people live who do not write poetry but lead poetic lives?” Roy defined poetry as elusive and nebulous. “The poem occurs to you, rather than the other way round, and it is the poem that writes itself, rather than you writing it. It is a process of plunging into one’s own self, and therefore with the world around one,” mused Renu. Pabitra Das, Krishna Kumar Sharma, B. Halder

End of January was surprisingly cold and the warmth of words at the Tata Steel Kolkata Literary Meet in association with Victoria Memorial Hall and in partnership with The Telegraph, made winter more endearing in the city. Anchored at the iconic location of Victoria Memorial and spread across multiple venues — Daga Nikunj, GD Birla Sabhagar, Bengal Club and Gallery 88 — the 12th edition of the five-day festival created a benchmark by hosting Nobel laureate Abdulrazak Gurnah who enchanted literary enthusiasts with his sessions that added more light to our lives. Joining him from South Africa were Mark Gevisser, and Booker Prize Winner Damon Galgut who left Calcuttans more enriched. A few British writers including John Boyne, the author of the heart-wrenching book The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, and Sebastian Faulks pulled the crowd in big numbers. A host of big names from the national front including Anand Neelakantan, Sudha Murty, Amitav Ghosh, Perumal Murugan also summoned fans for a soulful treat. A dash of Bollywood and glam found its place with actors Huma Qureshi, Tigmanshu Dhulia, and Tillotama Shome joining in along with celebrated couturier Tarun Tahiliani. The evenings had their own charm as they turned musical and touched souls with stage acts and performances. Here’s a recap of what we witnessed at the much-awaited annual literary festival.

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Kolkata Literary Meet Victoria Memorial
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