If you want Nobel winner, invest in lit fests

Let’s start with Indian drivers (I mean Indian Indian). I have no idea why they honk all the time, like all the time.

When I took the cab from airport, I thought of renting a motorbike and driving on that wide Indian roads. That thought vanished five minutes down the road. Indian drivers make New Yorkers look so tame in comparison!

Anyway, I am in Jaipur, capital of the state of Rajasthan, India for the annual Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF).

JLF is dubbed the world’s largest free literary festival and I looked forward to what they have in store. Courtesy of the soon-to-be-revived Matahari Books, I participated in the five-day literary festival.

Before I go on about Jaipur, I must mention Sri Hartamas and George Town. I participated in Malaysia’s own literary festivals last year, the Cooler Lumpur Festival (CLF) and George Town Literary Festival (GLF). Held in the month of June and November respectively, the two festivals are our very own annual events for literary celebration.

CLF carries a broader scope which includes literary arts, and marketed as a festival of ideas. GLF is the more traditional literary festival in the strictest sense of the word. They both act as a platform for authors, poets, publishers, and the general readers to share works, hold discussions, and exchange ideas.

The great thing about literary festivals is that they allow for the gathering of writers and readers to discuss important works and ideas. Both have become staple events in the calendar and the literary circle, always expanding, flocked to these events annually. Being a first-timer at CLF (started in 2013) and GLF (in 2011), I was impressed by the variety of authors and the Malaysian public’s interest in literature.

It’s not that we don’t have people who are interested in literature. It’s that we don’t provide enough platform and support for them. As quoted in the Atlantic recently, in the literary world, talent is not hiding. It is being ignored.

In Jaipur, authors range from economist Thomas Piketty to poet Gulzar, historian Yasmin Khan to photojournalist Steve McCurry.

There are nearly 350 speakers from around the world, with a mixture of local and international guests. I think this is a healthy balance. We don’t want our literary festival to be just “jaguh kampung”. At the same time, in our strive to be “international”, we shouldn’t neglect local authors. We don’t need to give up one for the other.

As far as the usage of language is concerned, the main language for an international festival is always English. However, the use of native language (be it either Hindi or Malay) should be supported.

This is particularly important if we want to attract people beyond the typical urban, English-speaking, and upper-middle class. After all, if we can invite foreigners to recite their work in a foreign language, our local works should be celebrated and publicised too.

Another thing that I appreciate about JLF is their willingness to confront sensitive and difficult issues.

Almost nothing in India is as painful as the great partition (and the bloodshed that followed), and as controversial and divisive as Pakistan. Yet, on the first day of JLF, we have authors sharing the stage talking about the Pakistan paradox. Some with a more understanding view of Pakistan, while one speaker was hell-bent and deeply pessimistic about it.

I would very much like to see this in this year’s GLF or CLF. Do we dare to confront our nation’s painful past episodes and critically examine and re-evaluate the past? Are we are allowed to do so? Can we push the barriers?

There is also a couple of things which attracted my attention. The buzz in the local papers about JLF (front-page coverage) and the participation of school kids (in their uniform) testified to the festival’s local support and connection.

It’s like an ecosystem and JLF is the community’s event, and thus the publicity, media coverage, local participation, and security was nicely coordinated.

It also helps that the festival venues (6-8 of them) are all in one place rather than scattered across several blocks. It’s easier for speakers and participants to move around, and it is actually a good tactic to ensure that the crowd stay for the next talk.

It’s like when you are selling something to someone, you would want to speak fast and provide the buyer with no time to hesitate. Similarly, when you minimise the time and walking distance between one talk and the next one, people are more likely to stay.

They also bring in foreign speakers to speak about local history and interest. For example, Steve McCurry is well-known for his iconic photographs but in JLF, he mainly discussed his work on India.

GLF did that too, when they invited scholars who studied Malaysian history and society. This is key to select the right international speakers, identifying those whose works resonate with the audience and getting them to speak on a topic which can be applied to our society.

JLF have way more volunteers and resources. Volunteers dressed in green or purple vest are always around to help guide the participants, delegates and speakers. There are plenty of signboards which show festival programme, time and venue.

The festival bookstore and merchandise store are conveniently located at the centre.

The display of the bookstore is brillant for two reasons: first, the books are arranged according to authors’ name and there are cards indicating every author’s name, and second, there is a section called “Today’s Writers” for authors who will be speaking on that day.

Contrary to perception that literature is confined to British classics and lengthy novels, the literary festivals I attended so far cover many genres and tastes; from the humane to the realist novelist, the almost nomadic travel writer, the quintessential photojournalist, the poets, the translators, and academic writers.

It’s also a celebration of cultural heritage, as wherever a literary festival is held, both domestic and foreign tourists will visit the areas surrounding the festival venue.

While not wanting to commercialise a literary festival, I think it is a great opportunity to boost tourism, promote cultural heritage, support local bookstores, and revive a keen interest in the festival venue (Penang, Jaipur, or Kuala Lumpur).

It also serves as an inspiration for budding and aspiring writers, translators, and poets. It’s always good to know that you are not alone in a certain endeavour, and the opportunity to converse with someone who has “been there, done there” can be catalysing for those aspiring to embark on this path.

Few writers embody the struggle of making a living as a writer as much as Marlon James, the winner of the Man Booker prize and author of “A Brief History of Seven Killings”.

The manuscript for his first novel was rejected more than 70 times, and he momentarily gave up writing. Only on the advice and encouragement from a friend and fellow writer, that he resumed writing and finally got his book published.

Another hugely popular writer in India, Ruskin Bond, only saw his book published after several years lying dormant.

Hearing such stories help to instill a sense of confidence and faith among us, budding and new writers, that perhaps we too can “make it”. No aspiring writer wakes up one day and decides to be a writer because he/she can make a living, but we must make a living out of our writing if we were to keep on pursuing it.

Knowing and hearing stories from someone who has achieved such a feat, we are enabled and empowered to attempt to do so ourselves.

Most of all, literary festivals are a cause for celebration. It is a recognition of the importance of literature and its power to convey a message to the society. It accords the proper respect to the written words and those who dedicate their lives to the craft of writing.

If we are indeed serious about producing a Nobel laureate as a minister says, then we ought to think of the ways to empower and uplift Malaysian literature in the 21st century. Surely, literary festival is something we cannot do without, and ought to support it in every way we can. – January 23, 2016.

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.