The anti-lit fest

Almost Island Dialogues presents their annual literary event of readings and conversations among Indian writers and writers from abroad

Almost Island Dialogues is an anti-lit festival, which means that literature is taken seriously. “The core idea emerged from the fact that I didn’t see any serious literary entities in India,” says Sharmistha Mohanty, founder-editor of the online literary journal Almost Island, started in 2007. “My writing and the writing I admire is serious literature; I am not interested in commercial literature.”

The Almost Island Dialogues, started in 2006, is an annual literary conversation between Indian writers and writers from abroad. The event is small and intimate, which allows for meaningful discussions. Expanding further on the essence of the event, Sharmistha says: “We read the writers’ works completely. While we invite famous and award-winning writers, we also have writers who may not be famous and haven’t won awards, but whose writing we admire. We essentially seek out people doing inventive things. We have had writers from Argentina and also a whole dialogue with writers from China,” says Sharmishta, adding: “The event is not for internationalism. The focus is on the non-developed countries, so to speak. This is the first time we are going to have two African writers.”

The 13th edition of Almost Island Dialogues will be held in Bengaluru for the first time — it was earlier held in New Delhi. Sharmistha personally knew legendary Kannada writer UR Ananthamurthy. “I wanted to host the event in Bengaluru so that he could attend it. I also have a few friends, who are scholars and physicists, there. I chose to host it outside of Bengaluru because it was time for a change, and will give other audiences a chance to attend it,” says Sharmistha, who has written four books, including three works of fiction: Book One, New Life, and Five Moments in Praise. Her fourth work is a book of poems. She has also translated a section of Rabindranath Tagore’ prose works: Broken Nest and Other Stories.

The three-day event will feature readings by Togara Muzanenhamo and I.Allan Sealy on day one, readings by Michael Kelleher, Jayant Kaikini and Joy Goswami on day two and readings by Vivek Shanbag, Sharmistha and Zoe Wicomb on the last day.

The 13th edition of Almost Island Dialogues is partially supported by the Windham-Campbell Literature Prize. It will be held at Bangalore International Centre, Domlur Second Stage, from December 6 to December 8, from 6.30 pm to 8 pm.