DHAKA, Nov 08, 2018 (BSS)- The capital Dhaka today witnessed a thought-provoking and inspirational literary and cultural extravaganza as renowned litterateurs, cultural personalities, artists and journalists with different languages and cultures assembled in a common platform to share diversified literatures and cultures to the benefit of people.
The assemblage of top figures of literature, culture and media from all continents across the world was turned into a platform of fostering literature practices and exchanging multi-cultural notions as the eight editions of International Literary Festival-2018 began on the premises of Bangla Academy with the name Dhaka Lit Fest (DLF).
To the utter mirth, merriment and curiosity of the people, the Cultural Affairs Ministry and the DLF committee are going to jointly arrange the three-day literary festival, which will continue till November 10.
The event was reverberated with songs and dance as Pulitzer Prize winner novelist Adam Johnson, Indian Bengali author Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay, Pakistani writer Mohammed Hanif, Bollywood actresses Manisha Koirala and Nandita Das, Oscar winning British actress Tilda Swinton and Ondaatje prize winning writer Philip Hensher attended.
About 40 internationally reputed writers, discussants and researchers from 15 countries and about 200 from Bangladesh are joining the DLF, organisers said.
Programmes schedule of the DLF includes discussions on film literature, culture, politics, women and Rohingya issues. The cover of three books of Bangla literature will be unveiled at the festival, they said.
There will be 90 sessions at the festival, which will remain open for all from 9 am to 9 pm every day.
Directors of Dhaka Lit fest Kazi Anis Ahmed, Sadaf Saz and Ahsan Akbar, among others, attended the function.
Sadaf Saz said, “The Dhaka Lit Fest is being held for the eighth time and this reflects continuous success of all us. We are taking huge response from writers, visitors and publishing houses from both home and abroad.”
Organizers of the DLF told BSS that Dhaka Lit Fest has been regarded as the largest literary festival in South Asia. They said DLF would not remain restricted in the literary field, rather it will create a wonderful scope for discussion on different disciplines of knowledge.
While talking to visitors at the Dhaka Lit Fest, they described this literary festival as an excellent platform for both literature-loving people, authors and other stakeholders, which eventually will diversify literature practices.
Kazi Anis Ahmed, director of Dhaka Lit Fest, said this international literary festival is being held in Bangladesh for the eighth time under the new name, “Dhaka Lit Fest”. Previously, it was held with the name of Hay Festival, he added.
“Our main objective is to project our literature, culture and tradition at international level through this festival. Bangladeshi writers so far have been popularized through this festival,” he added.
The organizers said the seventh edition of DLF will host over 200 speakers, performers, thinkers making it the largest and the most diverse gathering so far.