LitFest in Mumbai to focus on more regional languages

Vernacular writing will be in spotlight once again at the second edition of the Gateway LitFest scheduled here in February next year, with organisers gathering authors from regional languages to participate.
The first edition of the festival in February this year witnessed participation of around 50 leading authors and filmmakers from nine languages.
"The idea to celebrate regional writings at the national level had a loud response, if we go by the number of writers and book lovers who actively attended. Moreover, it could make strong ripples in the regional languages too after the two-day event became the platform for thought-provoking discussions and new ideas," Festival Executive Director Mohan Kakkanadan said in a statement.

The inaugural edition of the event gave focus to seven languages - Marathi, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Oriya, and Tamil. There were also exclusive sessions for some of these languages.
Mainstream languages of English and Hindi will also find mention in the event, according to festival organisers.
"With writers from different languages jelling together and exchanging ideas in an atmosphere of camaraderie, it will give tremendous impetus and push to the struggling translation segment and ensure flawless exchange of ideas from one language to another," organisers said.

Renowned filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan heads the advisory panel for the event, whose members comprise Marathi writer Laxman Gaikwad, banker and writer Ravi Subramanian, former secretary of Kendra Sahitya Akademi and writer Satchidanandan, Oscar award winner Resul Pookkutty, Kochi-Muziris Biennale president and curator Bose Krishnamachari besides editor and film writer Uma da Cunha.

Prominent names from the literary and film world who attended the literary carnival last time included Gujarati poet and padmashri awardee Sitanshu Yashaschandra, Subodh Sarkar (Bengal) Leena Manimakalai (film-maker and writer from Tamil Nadu), Govind Nihalani, Benyamin (Kerala), Hemant Divatte, Satish Solankurkar (Maharashtra), actor-director Nandita Das, Sachin Ketkar (Gujarat), Kureeppuzha Sreekumar, Kalpetta Narayan, V R Sudhish, Manasi (all Kerala) and Ramu Ramanathan.
The festival is being presented by Mumbai-based literary magazine Kaakka.