TSBLM: Authors and Poets Enrapture Students

Bhubaneswar: It was a dream come true for students when they met and interacted with their favourite childhood author, Ruskin Bond on the second day of the Tata Steel Bhubaneswar Literary Meet (TSBLM). They literally thronged the venue to catch a glimpse of the famed author and to hear him speak. Bond enthralled the audience with anecdotes and snippets from his illustrious career. He also spoke about the importance of reading and how it is critical to sharpening one’s writing skills.

Before him, there was an engaging exchange promoting Odia literature. Moderated by author and academician, Gourahari Das, the session saw writers and proponents of Odia, S.N. Sahu, Jatindra Nayak, Sangram Jena and Sahitya Akademi awardee Dash Benhur trace the journey of Mahatama Gandhi through the state of Odisha.

Thespian Jayant Kripalani joined poet Hussain Haidry in taking about the past and future of cinema and entertainment. “The future of literature lies on the silver screen. With the acceptance of the digital medium to consume entertainment and the success of web series shows that today’s audience consumes literature through the screen,” said Kripalani.

Entrepreneur and successful author Vineet Bajpai captivated the audience as he described his journey of becoming an author. Budding authors and students alike were eager to understand from Bajpai how to strike a balance between one’s vocation and interest.
The day concluded with a poetry session under the stars. Jayant Kripalani and Hussain Haidry were joined by poet-authors Nabina Das and Sucheta Mishra to recite their works to a spellbound audience.