Literature maniacs block the dates. The Goa Arts and Literature Festival (GALF - 2016) is all set to return for it's seventh edition from December 8 to 11 and promises to be broader, bigger and more varied than ever before.
The festival which will be inaugurated by Jorge Barreto Xavier (former Secretary of State for Culture, Portugal) and Sivakami (acclaimed writer and activist) will see a host of acclaimed artists from around the world like Daisy Rockwell, Faisal Devji, Angelica Freitas, Zafar Sobhan etc will descend to the state for three days long of book releases, talks, performances, interactions and much more.
“Over the years, GALF has established itself as the leading cultural event in Goa. The greatest achievement however is that the festival has been always voluntary driven and backed completely by the backing of passionate literature lovers in Goa who have reached out to colleagues and peers to invite them for the festival here. What is also significant is that this is a platform where artists from different parts can come here and speak candidly without worrying about rousing tempers. Delegates too are given a chance to interact with speakers in an intimate manner which is not possible at other larger literature events. At the same time students are given a chance to meet and interact with accomplished authors in person,” says Yatin G. Kakodkar, President, The International Centre Goa.
The official artwork for the festival has been done by eminent modernist, Laxman Pai and this time around the focus will be on regional languages of India like Hindi. Malyalam, Telegu. “ It is important that regional writers from different parts of India come together and exchange ideas. In this way Goan literature can also find a readership outside the state. Thus it works in the benefit of Goan writers. Also, people living in Goa who speak these other dialects are also given an opportunity to partake in the event,” says Damodar Mauzo, of Goa Writers Group, who together with Vivek Menezes has curated the event.
Another highlight of the event will be the honouring of Nobel Prize winner of Literature Bob Dylan, with a concert headlined by his greatest fan in India, the legendary rock musician for Meghalaya “ Lou Majaw, who annually holds tribute concerts back in his home town.
Among the book releases, Roanna Gonsalves will be launching her book which focuses in Indian migration in Australia while Ciprian Gonsalves's new book deals with Indians and Goans in Kenya. Naomi Duguid, who made her festival debut last year will also releasing her second book on Persian food at the event while Anjali Joshi will release her book Ramayana for Children.
The festival will also have a special focus for children, and school and college students. Leading authors for young people “ Samhita Arni, Geeta Dharmarajan “ will be available in specifically tailored programmes that will be accessible to the youngest visitors.
There will be exclusive “pop-up” bookstalls by Tara Books, Oxford University Press, Other India Bookstore, DogEars and Goa’s own Broadway Books, as well as a range of artworks from Goa and beyond.
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was born in Goa in 1965. In 1970, he moved with his parents and siblings to Guarda, a town in Northern Portugal, where he lived until 1984. After completing secondary education, he moved to Lisbon in 1984 to study Law. Over the years he founded several clubs and was the brains behind many cultural initiatives like the Portuguese Club of Arts and Ideas, the Paideia program “ art in secondary schools “ which ran in 180 schools throughout the country until 1997 etc. In October 2012 he accepted the invitation of the Prime Minister of Portugal, to work directly with him as Secretary of State for Culture what he has done until October 2015 (the term of the Government). He is now a professor at the Lisbon University Institute and is also busy creating a new initiative, the Programme on Culture, Development and Society.
is a prolific and a well known Tamil writer. She has authored five novels , more than hundred short stories ,essays and poems. Several of her works have been translated into English and published by leading publishers. Formerly in the IAS, she took voluntary retirement in 2008 to work for the poor and disadvantaged sections of the society. She is an activist and her areas of activism are towards the upliftment and empowerment of dalits, women, tribes and transgender. She edits a literary magazine titled Pudhiya Kodangi from 1995 for the benefit of the subaltern and runs a political party by name Samuga Samatua Padai from 2009.
blogs about loves and lives of Delhi on his blogsite The Delhi Walla (thedelhiwalla.com), which shall reach its 10th anniversary next year. He is also the author of Nobody Can Love You More: Life in Delhi’s Red Light District. Also a photographer, Soofi has an archive of more than 1,00,000 photographs of contemporary life in Delhi.
has published fifteen books in Malayalam including seven novels, three short story collections and a travelogue and memories. His most famous work, Goat days is a best seller in Malayalam and translated into many languages like English, Arabic, Tamil, kannada. Thai, Nepali etc.. It is a text book for many universities and received Kerala Sahithya Academy Award in 2009 and long listed for Man Asian Literature Prize 2013 and Short listed for DSC prize for South Asian literature 2014. The Arabic translation of the books is banned in Saudi Arabia and UAE. His other major works include Euthanasia, Second book of Prophets, 20 years of Christian Quarrels and Yellow lights of death. His latest work ‘Al Arabian novel factory’ is also banned in UAE.
