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A permanent literature festival

Literature festivals tend to happen in particular venues with a certain image that does not inspire true inclusion

Muhammad Hamid Zaman February 14, 2023 

The writer is a Howard Hughes Medical Institute professor of Biomedical Engineering, International Health and Medicine at Boston University. He tweets @mhzaman

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In an otherwise suffocating environment that is shaped by

conspiracy theory-laced high pitched mudslinging on TV on the one
end, and exclusion, apathy and neglect of critical social issues on
the other, an opportunity to listen, think and perhaps even imagine
a better world through art and creativity is a breath of fresh air.
Literature festivals — that are happening across the country — are a
small window allowing for the fresh air of reason, respect and
reflection to enter and give a breathing space to our minds and
precious inner core. Unlike a few years ago, when these festivals
were recycling the same people telling the same story, it is great to
see new authors and new voices come to the fore. Yet, despite the
promise and the value that these festivals bring, many are still
unable to breathe in this fresh air. So many are still left out.

Literature festivals tend to happen not just in large cities, but also in
particular venues with a certain image that does not inspire true
inclusion. I am reminded of a conversation I had with a young student a
few years ago, who told me that despite a love of literature she simply
could not imagine going to a festival. When I inquired further she said
that she and her family simply did not belong in that company. She felt
 that she did not come from the right class, and she and her father (a
simple man with a very modest salary) would be escorted out by the
guards before they could even enter. She simply did not have the
courage to risk her self-respect and had therefore felt that the doors of
the festivals were closed on her. Whether her fear was true or not, we
cannot deny that our class conscious society does erect real and
perceived barriers that stop many from socio-economically
disadvantaged groups to fully participate. This sense of exclusion is the
antithesis of what literature and celebration of literature ought to be
about.

Furthermore, the goal of the festival is not to be a one-off event, but

rather to be part of a movement. It should not be about a single
interview or a panel discussion, but an opportunity to hear from the
author whose words and ideas one would like to engage with. In a
society where books are getting more and more difficult to buy (or find)
the literature festivals are unlikely to create a movement for everyone
(and not just the entitled and the elite) to read, reflect and think.

The only way to both reach those who are unable to join the literature
festival in person, and catalyse a movement, is to create and support
public libraries within communities. I have heard all kinds of weak
arguments about why we do not have public libraries. Some are based
on the assumption that no one wants to read, and some are simply vile
when they say that the poor people are not to be trusted as they will not
return the books back to the library! The arguments in general are lazy
(or rooted in racism or classism) and demonstrate a strong affinity for
show rather than a real desire to support reading and intellectual
engagement.

A recent story about revamping public libraries in Nairobi (published in

The New York Times on February 4th, 2023) made me think about the
opportunity within our cities. It also got me thinking about how those
with means can give back to the community in a way that can
profoundly change the life of a person.

And for those who would argue that investing in libraries shows a
disconnect from our real problems of the day, I would say that perhaps
the only way to come out of the mess we find ourselves in is to know
ourselves, reflect on our history, and recognise that in the name of
solutions and ideologies we have been sold snake oil by charlatans big
and small. Reading is the first, and perhaps the most important, step to
undo the damage of the last seven decades.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 14th, 2023.

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