The FOSWAL Festival Kicks off its 4 Day Celebration on November 6

on Nov 07, 2022

During a Conference in Delhi in 1987, author Ajeet cour invited ten writers from Pakistan, and thousands of people across India came to listen to them.

"It was the first time when authors from Pakistan visited India. There were well-known figures like Intizar Hussain and Ahmad Faraz. At Triveni Kala Sangam, we reserved an auditorium with enough for around 600 people; nonetheless, more than 5,000 people showed up there. Cour, 88, describes it as "magic-like."

She observes that although the forum conducted under the FOSWAL (Foundation of SAARC Writers and Literature) umbrella has undergone several modifications over the years, at its core, it still stays the same as she gets ready for another edition of the festival, which will take place from November 6 to 9. The strong voice in Punjabi literature adds, "The area shares so much in common, and our purpose is to develop that. Many international writers have been returning to the festival, and I often speak with eminent authors in the participating nations to welcome new talent.

This year's guests of honor include authors Syed Manzoorul Islam from Bangladesh, Abhi Subedi from Nepal, Kanchana Priyakantha from Sri Lanka, and Madhav Kaushik from India, among others. Sociologist Ashis Nandy will deliver the keynote talk.

Afghanistan hasn't participated in the festival in two years, while Pakistani authors haven't done so in more than a decade. Cour, the FOSWAL chair, says that in addition to Covid, a shortage of financing has also contributed to the development of the digital version, which is kept online. Since 1999, we have received minimal money from the Ministry of External Affairs after starting with no funding in 1987.

However, since 2017—the year of the final physical edition—our file has been ongoing because we were unable to obtain the return plane permits for the writers who attended the festival that year. We've been writing the ministry letters but to no result. On the technical level, the Sahitya Akademi supports us, claims Delhi-based Cour.s.