Vignettes from a Litfest... or watching a dog walk on its hind legs!

Since this is a post about writers, let's begin with a basic question:

Q: Why do writers write? 

Mull over the thought as you read the post, the answer is at the bottom. Don't cheat and scroll down right away - I am curious what you come up with!

The Hong Kong International Literary Festival 2011 ran from 8 to 18 March with an extensive line up of writers from Amitav Ghosh to Benjamin Zephaniah.

I always enjoy the litfest - the venues are cosy-sized which means that the session can really be a tete-a-tete. Besides which it is a great chance for the audience to interact with these mysterious beings that chain themselves to their desks and emerge only at book launches and litfests. Or, more appropriately in the city of Mammon that is Hong Kong, to gawk at the weirdos who get by without doing anything useful with their time?!

I was lucky to moderate three events. The first, titled, The Dreamer, was with Rajeev Balasubramanyam.

It is a writer's big dread - turning up and reading to an empty hall. Thankfully, we managed a Full House. Phew!

The HK litfest organizers treat their writers well - we ended the session with a late but leisurely Dim sum lunch at the HK Jockey Club's fancy Cantonese restaurant. 

 

 My second session, How to Survive the Modern World, with writers Rajeev Balasubramanyam and Xu Xi at the very chic Hullett House.

Er, in case the wine glasses give you the wrong impression, it's the correct one. As writers like to say, I'm a drinker with writing problems ...

The silvery-haired gentleman above is Amitav Ghosh and my 8-year-old who clicked these pics decided - considering the fan that her mum is of this writer - it would be wonderful to frame the shot in this manner :) 

Third session was with Meira Chand, who is always a delight! Her sweeping Singapore saga, A Different Sky, was the focus of our discussion titled Hybridity at the genteel Helena May's Blue Room. If there's one place in HK where I'd love to sit and write, besides my study, it is this. The chintz, the blue paint, the hum of traffic and the old-world charm of this quaint colonial building in the heart of Central ... 

Later in the day I caught up with Amitav and got my bagload of his books autographed! A lovely way to wind up the festival.

Nicholas Lezard said of litfests: "When you go see a band play live, you're watching it do on stage what it is meant to do. When you watch an author perform live, you are, most of the time, watching a dog walk on its hind legs." True Mr. Lezard but as they say in Hindi, marta kya na karta! Ah! the travails of a modern-day writer. On that note, here's the promised answer.

A: Because it isn't there!


Now tell me, what answer(s) did you come up with?

Post Script: Warning to potential writers. In case you get the (mistaken) impression from reading the above post that a writerly life is glamorous, here is a quote on the writerly profession from Monica Ali:

Writing is the hardest way of earning a living, with the possible exception of wrestling alligators.

As they say, forewarned is forearmed!

Singapore Writers Festival, Oct 24 - Nov 1, 2009

The biennial Singapore Writers Festival is scheduled for Oct 24 - Nov 1, 2009, and yours truly is invited to participate in two events, Ahem! Now Singapore, as some of you might know, holds a special place in my heart, especially with regard to my second novel, The Long Walk Home. I started writing it in Singapore in 2002 (a result of residing on the 31st floor of a condo and my head, consequently, being perpetually in the clouds!). Over the seven years it took me to complete the book - we moved cities, our daughter came, I wrote umpteen drafts, sprouted several grey hairs - and dash it to the printer's for its release at the London Book fair 2009, the Lion city continued to hold its mentoring sway. The National Arts Council Singapore was a proud sonsor of the book's launch at LBF. And now, it makes me incredibly happy to be given a chance to showcase the book at this year's Singapore Writers Festival. What better way to close the loop? So Singapore, here I come! If you are in town, or happen to be passing through, do drop in to attend one of the many exciting events being hosted, many of which are free. Mark your calendars, and spread the good word :-)
I am uploading the event details in two posts to follow - in the meantime, here's a quick recap:
- 29 Oct 2009, Writing Historical Fiction
In which I am conducting a workshop on how to write historical fiction. I can only assume that after the success of my second novel, The Long Walk Home, that uses the canvas of 20th-century Punjab as a backdrop, the organizers assume I know something of writing fiction that entails time travel :-) When I started writing the book, I was also teaching myself the craft of writing fiction - it sure is surprising to have come to a point where I am regarded as capable of teaching the craft! As Orhan Pamuk said, as a writer you simply write and then leave it to the readers and critics to tell you how well you have done what they think you have done!
- 31 Oct 2009, Migration and Displacement: New Indian Writing
This is a panel discussion featuring three Indian writers, moderated by Meira Chand and, once again, for me, highly serendipitious! Meira was the only writer I was aware of in Singapore when I started writing short stories and on a whim I emailed her a story requesting for feedback! Yessiree, that was audacious of me, but wonders never cease for Meira was gracious enough to respond with some very constructive advise. Of course, we ended up having coffee and have stayed in touch, on-off, but imagine my delight when the festival people informed me that Meira would be on the panel! Swarnadip - the golden island - serendipity: an accidental discovery of something fortunate, especially when seeking something unrelated.
May wonders never cease :-)