Does unprecedented galore of literary festivals articulate an intense feeling for cultivating a vibrant reading culture in an era of digital literacy? Can they be reckoned as proxy for universities and other public spaces which not very long ago were used for frank discussions on unsavoury truths? Is the very existence of intellectual conclave being used as a subterfuge by big corporate houses to further their commercial interests in a world fast turning into an ultra-modern global megalopolis? The answer is a definite ‘yes’ and it prompts the parliament of Indian authors “ Sahitya Akademi” to provide an avant-grade congregation. Recently Indian Academy of Letters launched a new literary co-action called Graamalok featuring both authors and readers to thwart the attempts of manipulating literature for making big bugs that has almost become a norm. It is an alternative narrative meant for creating a taste for literature in the remote areas of the country which are conveniently ignored by the organisers. Read more

Source: The Hindu