KOLKATA: Gen Z isn’t just immersed in social media, they’re avid readers embracing diverse genres on various platforms, said Satyam Roychowdhury, MD of Techno India Group and Chancellor, Sister Nivedita University at the ninth edition of Apeejay Bangla Sahitya Utsob (ABSU), India’s first Bengali literary festival at the Oxford Bookstores in Kolkata on Friday evening.
He also said that while physical books may not be their primary choice, technology enables them to read in diverse formats. According to the educationist, literature’s impact on society is also profound as it delves into life and living. “Literature enriches us, and when we are enriched, we strive to enrich society,” said Roychowdhury on day one of the session on ‘Literature Beyond the Pages’. Debasis Sen, MD of HIDCO and chairman of NKDA, and filmmaker Arindam Sil also participated in the session.
Sen said literature plays a pivotal role in shaping a smart city, citing New Town as an example. He said parks inspired by iconic Bengali literary figures such as Professor Shanku showcase the fusion of literature and urban planning. Meanwhile, director Arindam Sil, known for hit Bengali films like ‘Har Har Byomkesh’ and ‘Ebar Shabor,’ both based on literature, expressed that his engagement with literature has enhanced his filmmaking abilities.
The three-day literary fest was inaugurated by eminent poet Joy Goswami on Friday in the presence of Abhirup Mukhopadhyay and Swagat Sengupta, festival director and CEO of Oxford Bookstores.
“There are two types of writer-poet all over the world. The first type craves for the stage, limelight, and festivity and the other whose writing table is their stage. While the former group is numerous, the latter remains limited. And this is how the world is,” said Goswami.
