GALF: The good & the gaffes
If the Jaipur Lit Fest is a glitzy, oversold and overblown affair, the recently concluded Goa Arts and Literary Festival (GALF) was the exact opposite. The public poetry readings, the children’s event and book stalls in Panjim, the events held at Raj Bhavan (which ironically was open only to invitees), and the impromptu appearance of William Dalrymple with the release of his latest book Return of a King: The Battle of Afghanistan 1839-47 were both well-organized and well-attended.
At almost all other events, readings and discussions, however, the attendance was woefully thin, with invited authors and other delegates making up most of the audience. Conspicuously lacking were genuine literature and art lovers from the general public. Matters were not helped with the constant changes in schedule, with people who had turned up for a particular programme returning disgruntled or having to wait uncertainly for the event they wished to attend. Things reached such a head that even participants were often left in limbo on the schedule. All this bespoke of a chalta hai atmosphere unlike the Jaipur or Kovalam events which run on clockwork efficiency though their corporatized event management style has its share of critics.
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This is not to take away from the idea of GALF, which is an unexceptionally good one; but the recently concluded event being the third edition, one would have imagined the organizers would have by now ironed out the more obvious glitches. This has unfortunately not been the case. Indeed, a level of uncalled for arrogance towards the media continued to plague the event though the media as a whole, and certainly this newspaper, provided more than adequate coverage. Such was the fest’s closed door and snooty pretense that it even failed to publish a daily itinerary in the newspapers thus leaving the public in the dark. All other literary events in India ~ and abroad ~ work closely with the media, ensuring especially that young and promising authors enjoy some much-deserved exposure. But not the Goa Lit fest, which apparently believes in closeting its invitees; of the three organizers, two were standoffish and only the third, the only quality author in the group, seemed sensitive to the needs of the public.
On the plus side, this year the organizers tried to spread the occasion around with events being held at Kala Academy, Raj Bhavan, Azad Maidan and the renovated Garcia da Orta Municipal Garden. A programme scheduled at Maquinez Palace was cancelled at the very last minute, however, with the Entertainment Society of Goa denying the event permission and that was to ESG’s shame.
But the organizers also continued to jump the gun, with early brochures boasting of a number of invitees many of whom simply did not turn up. Another aspect which continues to dog the lit fest is the lack of adequate transport from the isolated International Centre in Dona Paula. Invitees and delegates grumbled constantly of being “marooned” in their rooms and of being at the mercy of the unappetizing fare dished out by the Centre. Surely the delegates from such faraway places as Kashmir deserved a taste of Goan cuisine, which they were favoured with only on one occasion, after the inauguration at Kala Academy. Such basic aspects as local food and convenient transportation are not beyond the organizing capacity of any committee, especially in a place like Goa famed for its cuisine and hospitality.
GALF also continues to repeat invitations to the same authors; that, in our view, is an amateurish way of going about matters. Certainly, there could be a few well-wishers of the lit fest who could possibly deserve repeat invites, but with the current boom of newer authors mushrooming so abundantly, GALF should have spread its wings and invited more young talent. The organizers do have their heart in the right place, we hasten to add, and their clarity about not being overly attracted to “celebrity writers” with inflated reputations needs to be commended. But the organizers should now trawl further afield instead of inviting the same old names.
Another heartening feature of GLAF this year was that the organizers this time tried to invite school and college kids to the event. That such institutions largely failed to respond is a disturbing indicator of Goa’s gloomy literary future. Good intentions don’t always translate into reality but there were at least some positive steps taken in the right direction by this year’s edition of GALF; better luck next time with cutting down on the gaffes.
