3rd Shoolini Litfest opens in grand style

Solan, March 17 – Young writers must not feel discouraged by rejection of their writings by publishers but should keep working hard to emerge successful, said the well known author Ruskin Bond at the inauguration of the third edition of Shoolini Literature Festival here today.

He advised the writers to read more to write better. Calling himself a story teller with words, Ruskin Bond said his own writings had been rejected several times but he persisted and made writing his passion.

Delivering the keynote address, the prolific writer said he might not have been a writer had he decided to stay back in the United Kingdom. He also answered questions from the students and delegates at the Litfest.

Vice Chancellor of Dr. Yashwant Singh Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry Dr Rajeshwar Singh Chandel was the chief guest at the inaugural function. Chancellor Prof P K Khosla welcomed the authors and delegates to the Litfest. Vice Chancellor Prof Atul Khosla said that the university shall strive to make the Litfest a prestigious annual event.

Addressing another session, well known Director Mahesh Dattani spoke about the nature of stories and how performing arts align with them. At the session titled “The world is a stage”. Dattani called for more writers to explore topics that are not often touched upon, such as gender dysphoria.

The three-day festival, which aims to bring together literary enthusiasts and lovers from all over the country, also featured a flower festival alongside it. This year, the festival invited around 50 eminent speakers from different genres including fiction, poetry, films, food, and more.

On the first day of the festival, audiences were treated to sessions by many prominent personalities such as Sanjay Deshpande, Neelesh Kulkarni, Gurdeep Gul, Nandita Iyer, Raj Shekhar, Jupinderjit Singh, Balram Gupta, Manjri Prabhu, Gen Raj Mehta, Pawan Shah and Puneetinder Kaur Sandhu.

The speakers shared their experiences and insights on their work, which captivated the audience.

The festival created a platform for the exchange of ideas, networking, and appreciation of literature, making it a significant event in the literary calendar. It also provided an opportunity for the students of Shoolini University to interact with the luminaries of the literary world and learn from their experiences.