Tata Steel Literary Extravaganza Kicks Off to Celebrate Constructive Dialogue

Third edition of Jharkhand Literary Meet to highlight regional and global literature, art and culture

Ranchi, February 1, 2020: Returning to one of India’s most culturally-rich states, the third edition of the Tata Steel Jharkhand Literary Meet (TSJLM) was inaugurated here today to a packed audience. The two-day festival, which celebrates and seeks to promote this rich heritage, was inaugurated by celebrated Hindi author Ms Mridula Garg, Mr Avneesh Gupta, Vice President, TQM & Shared Services, Tata Steel and Ms Malavika Banerjee, Director – Tata Steel Jharkhand Literary Meet.

“From 2017, TSJLM has drawn premier authors and speakers not just from Jharkhand and the region, but from across India and the world. The event has grown from strength to strength with a consistently high quality of participants and an inherent connection with local cultural ethos. I am sure this year’s edition will once again celebrate unexplored ideas and unstoppable voices,” said Tata Steel’s Mr Gupta.

At the inauguration session, Ms Malavika Banerjee, Director – Tata Steel Jharkhand Literary Meet, said, “Tata Steel Jharkhand Literary Meet is a significant literary platform for all literature lovers in Jharkhand to celebrate their love for literature and exchange of ideas. The meet is an opportunity to connect and engage with people across generations. I take pride in saying that Tata Steel Jharkhand Literary Meet has established itself as one of the greatest literary gatherings in India and in this edition, we have one of the best line-ups of authors we’ve ever had.”

In her inaugural speech Ms MridulaGarg, one of the foremost Hindi authors of the country with nearly thirty published books, spoke on the importance of tolerance and dialogue. Ms Garg then spoke about her journey of over 45 years and her fearless approach to writing. Known for her direct and gripping stories, Ms Garg’s inspiring session was peppered with anecdotes from her eventful life.

This was followed by a session with Mr Ruskin Bond, a living legend and the most recognized contemporary English author of the country. The audience was packed with students who had travelled from across the state to listen to their literary hero. Mr Bond spoke about the evolution of his seminal literary character Rusty and his experience of bringing the quiet and imaginative boy to life in the hills of Dehradun.

There was also a flavor of Bollywood with renowned actor couple Pankaj Kapur and Supriya Pathak engaging with the audience in the last session of the day. The veteran thespians talked about the decades’ long journey in the world of films and gave the audience a rare peek into their world. The first day of the two-day extravaganza ended on a high with Afterwords – a unique part of the Tata Steel Literary Meets that includes musical, theatrical and other artistic performances. Singing sensation Sonam Kalra enthralled those gathered with her soulful renditions accompanied by her one-of-a-kind Sufi Gospel Project.

Tomorrow promises to be another exhilarating day at TSJLM with a host of eminent authors and artistes including Nemat Sadat, Avij Chanda and Gaurahari Das. Legendary singer Usha Uthup will also be in attendance to talk about her biography Ullas Ki Naav. This edition of TSJLM will be brought to a close with Pankaj Kapur’s dramatic reading of his novel Dopehri.