Focus on books
Thoughts on the State Literary Festival and other literary events
Prof Sunanda MAHENDRA
The month of September, for most literary enthusiasts as well as
creators, is the month that bubbles up with literary events. The main
focus of attention is drawn towards the State Literary Award ceremony
where quite a number of creative writers and researchers in the three
languages, Sinhala, Tamil and English are bestowed with cash awards.
This is normally followed by a series of tirades for and against the
selections. This is the normal tenure of activities that precedes and
follows the literary events.
How does this happen? There are differing schools of thought on
literary ideologies and the main target of bouquets and brickbats happen
to be the unit of executions, the sub committee of Sinhala literary
activities named as Sahitya Anumandalaya, headed normally by a
university don, and a few selected from various quarters such as the
field of administration and education. The selection of awards according
to the common census of opinion is not too transparent. This is the
issue that creates a stir.
Then of course, one of the main issues during this period is the
publication of new books and the discussions that ensue on those works.
But to the best of my observation some of the main issues such as the
most modern trends in the literary activities are normally undermined.
Perhaps this is due to the lack of awareness on the part of the literary
advisers who so happen to be at the helm of state literary activities.
The Sinhala media men ask a commonplace question from opinion makers in
the following manner.
“What do you think of the state literary awards this time?” What is
the kind of response one can expect from an opinion leader? The common
response would be to say either, “I don’t know” or “I am not too sure
what happens”.
Once a journalist asked that particular question from a certain
lawyer who so delves in the so called post modernistic literary trends.
He had responded as “I don’t want to comment”. But all in all some sort
of controversy triggers off during this period.
The commonest factor would be to single out a particular work that is
selected for an award. This particular work or its author will be taken
to task from his so called opponents. The debate will go on.
The novel, the collection of poems, and the collection of short
stories for the most time becomes the subject of controversy. But the
research works and translations are never questioned. Some learned
scholars say that there are too many literary awards but the works that
receive attention are worthless and trivialities. It is also declared
openly by some that, these who oppose the awards one will have the added
advantage of receiving the same the following year. But I don’t want to
make any hasty judgments or vindictive speculations. A sensitive
creative writer does not under normal circumstances, clamour to receive
and award by evil means.
We also observe that most book publishers too are interested in great
annual literary awards by carving their own literary festivals, where
they too award cash prizes to recipients. But I am not too sure whether
this is taken seriously as it ought to be.
The literary event titled as Swarna Pustaka to my observation is a
fallacious literary event.
I am not too sure whether the book publishers of the same category
should vie with each other to make the sensitive writers run a race to
win the jackpot. What a cruel event.
There may be schools of thought at schools of creative activities.
But should one usher in malice and hatred to one another in the name of
literature, a sacred act of humanism. Though I have been a recipient of
literary awards several times, I fervently feel that creative writers
should not be allowed to compete with each other at the expense of a
worthless amount of money.
Though books are now regarded as commercial commodities, they are
never written to fulfil that ideology. Instead books are written as
addressing the necessity on the part of the creators. The truth behind
the real necessity of the creation cannot be undermined.
Apart from these central literary activities, schools and other
cultural units too organise their literary seminars.
Competitions of varying types are conducted. But as I see them there
is a conventional pattern which should change in keeping with the pace
and spirit of the times. Mass media channels like Press, Radio and
Television ought to play a vital role in this direction.
They too are observed as conventional disseminations of the
socio-literary message. More trends and discourses should take place. I
am reminded of what the poet Gibran once said.
“Learning is the only wealth tyrants cannot despoil. Only death can
dim the lamp of knowledge that is within you. The true wealth of a
nation lies not in its gold or silver but in its learning, wisdom, and
in the uprightness of its sons.”
(The Voice of the Master)
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