Literature of the northeast is the focus of this year's South India Writers' Ensemble, which will see the presence of writers like Mitra Phukan, Dhruba Hazarika, Jahnavi Barua besides American novelist George Bishop and Malayalam author Benyamin among others.
Organised by the Kerala State Youth Welfare Board, in association with PAMPA (People for Performing Arts and More), the third edition of the three-day SIWE begins in Chengannur here tomorrow.
The opening day of the festival will have a session "Guns and Guitars: Literature, Revolt and the Question of Identity" featuring writers from the northeast Jahnavi Barua, Mitra Phukan and Dhruba Hazarika.
The second day will see sessions like "Being Heard in Decibel Hell: Poetry in a Noisy World"; "Towards Unhad: Cultural Symbiosis and the Secular Fabric of India"; "Endangered Imagination: Limits of storytelling in a polarised society"; "Reclaiming Criticism"; while the last day will have sessions "Narrator vs Inquisitor: Censoring from within and without"; "Poetic Journey: Beginning at the end"; and "The Muse in the Marketplace".
Besides there will be talks, readings, interactions, literary workshops and cultural programmes.
"The Indian writing in English component of the festival promises to be electrifying. American novelist George Bishop, Mitra Phukan, Dhruba Hazarika, Jahnavi Barua, Preeti Shenoy, Manjiri Prabhu, Vani Mahesh... The writers cover literary fiction, bestsellers, mythology and sleuths. By bringing in writers from all over India and abroad, this festival ensures a cosy global intimacy," Shinie Antony, writer and programme coordinator of SIWE-2015, told PTI.
"SIWE-2015 is celebrating the literature with northeastern writers along with other national languages," the organisers said.
