SAARC Literary Festival on South Asian Poems:

The literary catalyst

Known as home to many of the world's best epics, stories and poems, South Asia is a region with a unique literary tradition. The region shares a common literary tradition that has developed over the years - scattered times and spaces. Ranging from oral histories to epic poems, the South Asian poetry tradition offers a rich and pulsating experience of the unique South Asianess. It can be argued that much of the best poetry that has ever been composed still remains unwritten and unbaptized, yet what did get written and passed down from one generation to another in the annals of the histories of South Asia, presents some of the poignant pieces of literary creations.

Poetry unlike the edifices erected by the people of yesteryears continues to change in texture and shape as it draws from the changing experiences of a region's folks. It embodies vast vocabularies of emotions, cultures, articulations and nuances. South Asian poetry, indeed, is no exception.

Like many of its regional and global counterparts it too is unique. It is unique to the extent that it is born out of a specific culture and, therefore, portrays traits distinctive to it. This, however, does not deny the transcending potential of poetry that appeal to the human element in every individual's heart, irrespective of their spatial and cultural diversity.

The delight and influence of South Asian poetry as a catalyst that brings together diverse cultures within the region reflects a cultural confluence unsurpassed by any other region of the world, This rich and vibrant mingling needs to be appreciated and celebrated by giving due recognition to indigenous cultures and styles represented by such poetry so as to celebrate unity in diversity and to preserve splendid South Asian expressions that are a fundamental part of the region's cultural ethos.

The SAARC Literary Festival, which began in 2013 is slowly and steadily gaining its momentum as the literary catalyst within SAARC, giving the Member States to share their literary creations, debate, analyze, and discuss the state and accomplishments of the literature of South Asia.

In keeping with the SAARC Agenda for Culture, which envisages that diversity in culture as reflected in varied cultural expressions needs to be acknowledged, the SAARC Cultural Centre organized a 4-day Literary Festival on South Asian Poetry in India. The Festival was an open forum for poets and poetry critics to discuss, debate, and analyze poetry in South Asia and to indulge in exploring its unique cultural tapestry.

The Literary Festival

As part of the approved programmes for the year 2015, the SAARC Cultural Centre organised a 4-day Literary Festival on South Asian Poetry in India (Bangalore) on 2-5 July 2015. This Festival provided a platform to the poets, writers, literary critics, publishers and literary enthusiasts in the region to share their thoughts, insights, voice their concerns and learn from the experts of South Asian Poetry.

It also held poetry reading sessions. It is hoped that with a mix of formal and informal interactive sessions, the Festival will promote and critically discuss the poetic traits of South Asia. The Festival was held at the Hotel Lalit Ashok, Bangalore from 2 to 5 July 2015. Delegates from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Pakistan and Sri Lanka participated in the Literary Festival.

The Inaugural Session was held under the patronage of Pramod Jain, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Culture, Government of India, with the welcome address delivered by Wasantha Kotuwella, Director, SAARC Cultural Centre.

The Quest for Commonality

The keynote Address titled 'The Quest for Commonality' was delivered by Malinda Seneviratne, one of the most eminent poets in Sri Lanka who has authored a number of award winning poetry collections.

His first book, 'Epistles: 1984-1996' was published in 1999. Five of six collections he wrote were short-listed for the prestigious Gratiaen Prize between 2007 and 2013. The last, 'Edges' won the Gratiaen for the year 2013. His other collections are 'Threads', 'The Underside of Silence', 'Stray Kites', 'Some Texts are Made of Leaves', and 'Open Words are for Love Letting'.

He also won the H.A.I. Goonetilaka Prize for the best translation, awarded by the Gratiaen Trust, for rendering into English the much acclaimed Sansaaraaranyaye Dadayakkaraya (The Hunter in the Wilderness of Sansaara).

He is currently in the process of completing the translation of the epic poetic work of Maharagama Sekera, Prabuddha. Seneviratne's Keynote address expounded on the commonalities of human emotions and mentioned that "we are nothing if not the fraternal citizens of a borderless and free territory of minds and hearts in a region called South Asia, a geographical accident produced by the movement of hidden plates over millennia and a passing specificity made of movement, sharing and exchange in the commerce of art, philosophy, innovation, goods, services and power."

The Literary Festival included six Country Presentations, namely, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. In the country presentation each delegation presented the historical developments and current status of poetry in the respective country.

At the end of the Festival a Valedictory Session was held at the Festival venue. Wasanthe Kotuwella, Director, SAARC Cultural Centre distributed certificates and mementos to all the participants of the Festival.