The 4th Shillong Literary Festival, 2024 was inaugurated by the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Meghalaya, Shri Conrad K. Sangma, in presence of the tourism minister, eminent authors, columnists, and officials. The inaugural session, held at the iconic Ward’s Lake, currently adorned in Cherry Blossoms, set the tone for three days of literary brilliance and creative dialogues.

Conrad K Sangma, said:  “We have been trying very hard to make it a calendar event not for just the state but hopefully one day on to the national and even international level. This is just the beginning, and we intend to make it much bigger in the coming years”.  He added that the festival aims to bring together writers and provide a canvas for the youth to engage, exemplified by initiatives like the Meghalaya Grassroots Movement Program (MGMP). Hon’ble Chief Minister expressed that in coming years, the festival will not only be confined to literature, but different aspects of fine arts. At the end of the day, this festival, beyond literature and fine arts, is about the people and the youth of Meghalaya where they can use the platform to engage with people across the world and get a chance to connect and learn.

He underscored the importance that the festival holds to the students, not only the college ones but also young children. He added we need to document all the cultural and historical aspects of our state. We are hopeful that through initiatives like this we would not only encourage the habit of jotting down things, but also, coupled with CM Research Scholars’ programme, promote a healthy research and documentation on the people and culture of Meghalaya. The festival, as Hon’ble Chief Minister expects will become a calendar event for tourists across the country and beyond.

Renowned Indian novelist and poet Vikram Seth delivered a special address during the inaugural ceremony reflecting on the universality of literature and its ability to bridge cultures and communities. Seth called Shillong, which is the Scotland of the East, as the Kyoto of the West. He said, “I discovered I had a connection with Shillong, which I didn’t realise till 5 minutes ago. Tagore apparently was in Shillong, and it was the basis of inspiration of his book Shesher kobita, or the last poem.” The poems from this book were read by his mother before Vikram Seth was born. He praised the atmosphere of the Shillong, the cherry blossoms, and added that one need not compare Shillong with any other city of the west.

Hon’ble Tourism Minister Bah Paul Lyngdoh highlighted the gap between human achievements and the divine, emphasizing the role of literature, poetry, and the written word in bridging this divide and aspiring towards the ethereal.

Columnist and writer Shobha De termed the lit fest as the “prettiest” lit fest that she has ever attended. She praised the Hon’ble Chief Minister by stating, “How lucky is the state of Meghalaya to have a Chief Minister who is multi-talented, so cool, who just connects with the youth and takes so much pride in the cultural identity of the state.”

The inaugural address was delivered by Dr Vijay Kumar D, IAS, Commissioner & Secretary, Department of Tourism, Government of Meghalaya. Director of Tourism, Shri Cyril VD Diengdoh gave the vote of thanks to everyone present in the occasion.

As the day progressed, the festival unfolded a series of engaging sessions featuring eminent authors, artists, and thinkers, promising an unforgettable experience for all attendees. Highlights from Day 1 included an array of insightful sessions with eminent personalities like Vikram Seth, Shobha De, Jerry Pinto, Kynoham S Nongkynrih, Sabir Hussain, Arupjyoti Saikia, Amabel Susngi, among others.

The sessions started with “Folklore as Fiction: The Haunting World of ‘The Distaste of the Earth’”, where Mr. Kynpham S. Nongkynrih delved into folklore’s transformation into fiction alongside Mr. Kanishka Gupta.

The session “For the Love of Travel” saw  Sabir Hussain and David Laitphlang engaging in a vibrant discussion on the transformative power of travel narratives. Equally captivating was “Ha Yupiam ka Bei (On Mother’s Lap): Talk and Play”, where  Amabel Susngi and Daryll Diengdoh explored cultural connections through storytelling.

Vikram Seth returned to the spotlight with “A Suitable Author: Reading & Reminiscences”, where he engaged with Ms. Malavika Banerjee to explore his iconic works and the art of storytelling. Another literary highlight was Jerry Pinto’s session, “The Education of Yuri”, where he shared insights into his creative process, joined by Ms. Janice Pariat in an enriching dialogue.

The evening took an exciting turn with “De Light”, a much-anticipated session featuring Shobhaa De in conversation with Mr. Jerry Pinto. The day concluded with a mesmerizing musical performance by the artists of Meghalaya Grassroots Music Project, a significant step to promote youth and musicians of Meghalaya.