The third edition of two-day Jharkhand Literary Meet organised by Tata Steel kicked off on Saturday in the State Capital to highlight regional and global literature, art and culture.
The two-day festival, which celebrates and seeks to promote this rich heritage, was inaugurated by celebrated Hindi author Mridula Garg, Vice President, TQM and Shared Services Tata Steel, Avneesh Gupta and Director, Tata Steel Jharkhand Literary Meet, Malavika Banerjee.
Speaking on the importance of the meet Gupta said, “From 2017, TSJLM has drawn premier authors and speakers not just from Jharkhand and the region, but from across India and the world. The event has grown from strength to strength with a consistently high quality of participants and an inherent connection with local cultural ethos.”
In her inaugural speech noted Novel Writer, Mridula Garg spoke on the importance of tolerance and dialogue. Garg then spoke about her journey of over 45 years and her fearless approach to writing. Known for her direct and gripping stories, Garg’s inspiring session was peppered with anecdotes from her eventful life.
This was followed by a session with Ruskin Bond, a living legend and the most recognized contemporary English author of the country. The audience was packed with students who had travelled from across the State to listen to their literary hero. Bond spoke about the evolution of his seminal literary character Rusty and his experience of bringing the quiet and imaginative boy to life in the hills of Dehradun.
At the inauguration session, Malavika Banerjee, Director - Tata Steel Jharkhand Literary Meet, said, “Tata Steel Jharkhand Literary Meet is a significant literary platform for all literature lovers in Jharkhand to celebrate their love for literature and exchange of ideas. The meet is an opportunity to connect and engage with people across generations.”
There was also a flavor of Bollywood with renowned actor couple Pankaj Kapur and Supriya Pathak engaging with the audience in the last session of the day. The first day of the two-day extravaganza ended on a high with after words – a unique part of the Tata Steel Literary Meets that includes musical, theatrical and other artistic performances. Singing sensation Sonam Kalra enthralled those gathered with her soulful renditions accompanied by her one-of-a-kind Sufi Gospel Project.
On the last day of the meet on Sunday a host of eminent authors and artistes including Nemat Sadat, Avij Chanda and Gaurahari Das. Legendary singer Usha Uthup will also be in attendance to talk about her biography Ullas Ki Naav. This edition of TSJLM will be brought to a close with Pankaj Kapur’s dramatic reading of his novel Dopehri.