The eclectic Mumbai international literary festival, widely known as Tata Lit Live, starts its eight season. The festival's creator, Anil Dharker, writes:
"In these few years, much has changed in India`s literary world. Almost every international publisher has set up office in the country, and new writers spring from everywhere now that the possibility of seeing their manuscripts in print has increased dramatically. Keeping pace with this is the proliferation (or is the right word ‘eruption’?) of literary festivals all over India. This year, I am told, there are four others running simultaneously with ours. This literary flowering can only be good for readers and writers.
"We are happy to do our bit. We are told, by kindly friends and even kindlier participants, that we do our bit quite well. One overseas writer went so far as to say that ours in one of the best festivals in the world. We aren`t in a hurry to contradict her.
"Judge for yourself in the coming four days. There`s a terrific array of writers lined up, brilliant writers covering a wide range of human thought: there’s fiction and poetry, of course, but there are discussions on subjects like economics, politics, social issues, concepts of nationalism and of god, and even topics dealing with science . When I see a list of participants like ours, I wish sometimes that I wasn`t an organizer, but part of the audience, eagerly queuing up for a place inside. You might, of course, say I am lucky that I can just walk in into any session, but I can`t remember the last time I wasn`t pulled out to deal with something or the other.
"But in the end it`s all worthwhile: our audience expands every year, and a sure sign of that is the early clamour for the programme from places like Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Delhi and Bangalore. Mumbai`s festival is obviously becoming India`s literary festival.
"This year`s line-up has nearly 150 participants and performers, of which a third come from overseas, representing 17 countries. That it is possible to hold an event of this size, and make it a free festival open to all, can only be possible through the generosity of sponsors. The Tata group of companies champion culture and the arts through the year and throughout the country, and the Literature Live! And Tata partnership is indeed an exceedingly happy one. The National Centre for Performing Arts is the jewel of this city, and the envy of all others. For the festival, NCPA is far more than a venue; it`s a vital support system in every which way. In addition, the sterling support of the Aditya Birla group, the JSW group and LIC, is a vital component of the litfest, as is the warm hospitality provided by the Taj group of hotels.
"Finally, an endeavor of this scale has to be a team effort. You will see team members at the venues and on the following pages. For each one of them, as it is for me, Tata Literature Live! The Mumbai LitFest is a true labour of love.
"Does it get easier every year? Friends ask as our litfest draws closer. The answer is an emphatic no. The only year it was different was the first, because for all of us in the team, this was unknown territory. Our naivete led us to dream some impossible dreams, but by the second year, all of us, now veterans in organizing an international literary festival, were wiser.
"Yet the stress levels remain the same as D-Day approaches, and however many deep breaths you take, the panic attacks."