KL Report
Srinagar
For the first time in 24 years, J&K Academy of Art, Culture & Languages organized an All State Writers’ Camp in Kashmir to provide participants an ideal atmosphere for creative literary work and discussion.
The camp, inaugurated at the picturesque health resort of Yusmarg in central Kashmir on Sunday, will buzz with literary discourses and writing and recitation of poetry and prose.
About two dozen writers and poets of ten languages including Kashmiri, Dogri, Pahari, Gojri, Sheena, Ladakhi, Urdu, Hindi, Punjabi and English are participating. The five day camp will conclude on June 27.
The last time an All State Writers’ Camp was held by the Academy in Kashmir was in 1989 at Cheshma Shahi.
Secretary J&K Academy of Art, Culture & Languages, Khalid Bashir Ahmad, who attended the inaugural, said that the idea of a writers’ camp was unique and aimed at providing participants idyllic environment for creative writing and inter-language discussion. He said the writers share their experiences and creative works with their camp mates from different languages. This, he said, creates an ambience for serious literary activity and also provides opportunity for budding writers to interact with their seniors.
Khalid said that the first Writers’ Camp was held in 1970s as an annual activity. However, he said, the activity remained suspended in Kashmir since 1989 when the last writers’ camp was held at Cheshma Shahi, overlooking the Dal Lake, even as it continued in Jammu, albeit with breaks. He said the revival of the Writers’ Camp in Kashmir was one of his priorities which had now materialized. He said unlike in the past, an eminent writer of a language will visit the campers and interact with them on literary issues.
The Secretary welcomed the participating writers and hoped their stay in the camp would be pleasant and very fruitful in terms of their creative engagement.
