From AI, poetry, Dalit feminism and hyperlocal languages-- literature festival has something for everyone

The three-day Book Brahma Literature Festival brought together some of the biggest names in South Indian literature, providing enthusiasts an opportunity to engage and listen in on their ideas.

Bengaluru: The first day of the Book Brahma Literature Festival 2024 saw hundreds of literature enthusiasts throng St John's Auditorium in the southern part of the  city to witness littérateurs' tackle various topics, from AI and poetry to dalit feminism and hyperlocal languages.

The three-day festival brought together some of the biggest names in South Indian literature, providing enthusiasts an opportunity to engage and listen in on their ideas.

Among the many engaging panels was one discussing whether AI would end classics and change the literary landscape or whether AI could reproduce something like the classics. Panellists were both sceptical and anxious -- journalist and writer Deepa Ganesh posed questions about about AI’s potential for harm, while Rajendra Chenni, critic, Krishnamurthy Hanur, folklorist and novelist and Poornima Malagimani, novelist, were sceptical about AI’s potential to replace writers wholesale.

Poet and lyricist Jayant Kaikini stressed upon looking at cinema music as a different and specialised skill that is integral to everyday life. Interspersed with the discussions were the melodious film tunes by famed playback singer Nagachandrika Bhat, lines borrowed from poetry or previous literature.

Dalit activists and writers Challapalli Swaroopa Rani and Joopaka Subhadra spoke about their experiences being Dalit women writers and how the feminist movement popularised in the country is not inclusive of Dalit, adivasi and minority communities' narratives. In Swaroopa Rani's opinion, second and third generation Dalit writers are distancing themselves from identifying as Dalit, thus not producing stories with lived experiences.

A session exploring the linguistic diversity in Karnataka had Byari writer Mohammad Ali Kammeradi speak about the history and obstacles the language has faced. He noted that the word Byari was used as a slur until 1986, when a Byari organisation was set up to give the community some legitimacy and dignity. Konkani embodies ‘Vasudaiva Kutumbakam’ as it is spoken by Hindus, Muslims and Christians, according to journalist and writer Raymond Dcunha Thakode. 

The last session for the day was a conversation between Perumal Murugan, P Gopalakrishnan and Paavannan, most of which was in Tamil and translated to English by Paavannan. The conversation explored Murugan’s inspiration to write, his first poetry on the All India Radio, and a comparison of the themes explored in his novels.

Cheemanahalli Ramesha Babu was awarded in absentia for his work 'Mamparu', published by Neelima Prakashana.