Hyderabad’s very own ‘carnival of words’ began on a grand note as the young and the old with a literary bent of mind thronged the Hyderabad Public School in Begumpet. On the first day of the Hyderabad Literary Festival-2015 (HLF), more than 25 literary and cultural events were held, involving various authors, artistes and well-known personalities. In its fifth edition, the venue itself was the highlight.
“I have been to previous HLF events and I must say this is an amazing and comfortable venue,” said Ashima Rao, a student of mass communication. “The fact that all the events are going to take place at one big venue without any parking problem is a big advantage. In the backdrop of heritage structures and natural rock formations, the event has also taken a step towards an active socialising platform for all like-minded people.”
Javed Akhtar, in his inimitable poetic style, not only mesmerised the audience with his talk but also gladly posed for ‘selfies’ with young fans. “I think I should start charging for this service,” said Akhtar with a naughty grin as he endlessly smiled for pictures and signed autographs.
A name to reckon with in the field of fashion, star designer Wendell Rodricks participated in an interactive session. Noted actor and theatre artiste Tom Alter performed in a play ‘Parchhaiyan’ set against an impressive background in the school premises towards evening.
Apart from the photo exhibitions, installations and book releases, the exclusive book stalls, with their vast and varied collection, attracted crowds along with some grouse too. “For some reason, the books here are more expensive than in a regular bookshop. It would have been nice if the book rates were kept economical,” said a PR professional.
The storytelling and illustration workshop, ‘The locomotive poem’, was attended by a good number of students.
