How did the idea of the festival come about?
Basically, we wanted to commemorate 20 years of Literary Review . This was the only expanded space in terms of the newspaper showcasing author profiles, reviews and more. It had to be marked in some way and we wanted to institute a prize to showcase the best of Indian writing through day-long sessions to celebrate the word. The first year we had music as well — it was a good and energised evening. We were very surprised that people in Chennai came for it. The encouragement from the audience pushed the idea further. Then we started one in Delhi because The Hindu has a growing presence among the literati, students and others. It garnered a good audience but we decided to concentrate it in Chennai and expand it here. There are so many issues to be explored here.
How different was the fifth edition from the first, how far has it come?
The fifth edition has taken off from last year. It has organically grown with an enriching mix of subjects. There are more and more topics to explore and we anchor them with a book or an issue. This year, the attempt to silence Perumal Murugan was the focus. As a festival, we had to stand up for him. The political atmosphere around the world has also changed; divides have emerged. It is important to protect freedom of expression. The richness of Indian dialects and the idea to inculcate local flavours were our focus.
Is there anyone you particularly wanted to bring to the festival?
To me, Perumal Murugan is as important as Salman Rushdie. Rushdie has been constantly standing up for something like this. I would also like to explore the possibility of having more local authors. I would like a truly wider and democratic representation.
How do you see the future of the festival?
Our aim is to move ahead in other cities. The Hindu as a brand shouldn’t lag behind in competition. Instead, we should take our strengths forward. There’s a lot of synergy between what we do as a newspaper and as a festival. We hope to take it to two more cities.
