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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2016
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DLF ends on a high note of hope
• Nure Alam Durjoy
The curtain fell on the Dhaka Literary
Festival 2016 yesterday with
high hopes that love and passion
for knowledge, culture and literature
would always live on.
“This has been such a fabulous
celebration of knowledge, literature,
sharing of ideas… it’s a chance
to celebrate Bangladesh today
through our culture and literature,”
said Sadaf Saaz, co-director of the
festival, at the closing ceremony at
Abdul Karim Sahitya Bisharod auditorium
of Bangla Academy.
She said that the three-day
event – the largest English literary
event in Bangladesh – hosted more
than 100 sessions which were visited
by over 20,000 people.
“What an amazing three days it
has been… the participation of the
audiences was incredible,” she said.
Thanking the guests and visitors,
she said, “We want the DLF to
be a festival for all.”
Zafar Sobhan, editor of the Dhaka
Tribune, thanked the DLF directors
for successfully organising a
marvellous event.
“In a time when the world
stands divided over so many issues,
the DLF brings together writers
and journalists of the highest
calibre from all over the world in a
celebration,” he said.
The event was also a bridge between
Bangladesh and the rest of
the world, he added.
Sir Fazle Hasan Abed, founder of
Brac, was present at the ceremony
as chief guest.
Addressing the ceremony, he
said: “Although I have not been
able to come to many of the sessions,
I understand that it is the
best festival in the past six years. It
is the largest and most exciting festival
that happened in Dhaka in the
last three days.”
He also remembered Syed
Shamsul Haq, a celebrated Bengali
poet and lyricist who passed away
in September.
The esteemed foreign guests
who attended the festival this year
were also happy to see a vibrant literary
scene in Bangladesh.
“My face has been hurting because
in the past three days I have
smiled too much. I smiled at my fellow
authors, my incredible organisers,
and I smiled while meeting the
Gemcon Literary Award given at Dhaka Lit Fest
• Nure Alam Durjoy
The Gemcon Sahitya Puroshkar
(Literary Award) has been given at
Dhaka Lit Fest for the first time.
Writer Moinul Ahsan Saber won this
year’s Award for his novel “Abdul Jalil
Je Karone Mara Gelo” and young writer
Mustafiz Karigor won the Tarun Literary
Award for his novel “Bostuborgo”.
Moinul Ahsan Saber has been given
Tk8,00000 and Mustafiz Karigor has
been given Tk2,00000 in prize money
while each has also been given a crest.
Mustafiz Karigor expressed his joy
by saying: “The award is a recognition,
for me, it will inspire me to work more.”
Moinul Ahsan Saber said: “feeling
happy to be awarded. If I am awarded I
feel happy, if not I am not unhappy.”
The award ceremony was
moderated by poet Shamim Reza. The
Award was given at the Dhaka Lit Fest’s
Main Stage at 5.30pm yesterday.
DLF directors Ahsan Akbar, K Anis Ahmed and Sadaf Saaz with Brac founder Sir Fazle Hasan Abed and Dhaka Tribune Editor
Zafar Sobhan after the closing ceremony of Dhaka Lit Fest 2016 yesterday
RAJIB DHAR
Winners of Gemcon Literature Award 2016 with guests at Dhaka Lit Fest in Bangla Academy yesterday
Writer and professor Syed Manzoorul
Islam, Writer Jharna Rahman, Poet
Akbar Ahmed from Tripura, and Jahar
Sen Majumdar from Kolkata were on the
jury board of the awards.
After the ceremony, the members of
the jury board held a discussion on the
awards around the world very briefly.
Before the award ceremony, K Anis
Ahmed, Director of Gemcon Group
and also Dhaka Lit Fest, thanked
all the participants who sent their
manuscripts for the award.
The award was given to inspire
writers. Initially the award was named
as the Kagoj Tarun Sahitya Puroskar,
and it was renamed as the Best Book
Award in 2003. It became the Gemcon
Sahitya Puroskar in 2007.
The section of new titles that
come in every year, from January
to December, are divided into three
phases on the basis of creativity and the
originality of the publication. The Jury
board make decisions independently.
Last year, Salma Bani won the award
for her “Immigration” while Rubayet
ordinary Bangladeshi people,” said
Catalan writer Carles Torner.
“I have to say, as an author, my
life has been in the sitting room.
But to be here is a complete revolution
for me. I am delighted to be
here and I love it.”
Charlie Campbell, captain of
the Authors Cricket Club, an Edwardian
cricket club of writers that
had PG Wodehouse and Sir Arthur
Conan Doyle as regular members,
said: “We need to exchange our
ideas more than ever. It has been a
wonderful experience to be here.”
British writer Anthony Mc-
Gowan, who spoke at the panel
“Hitchhiker’s Guide to Children’s
Literature” along with Daniel Hahn,
said: “I want to say it’s been a real
pleasure to see what has been taking
place in here these days. It is the
spirit of joy in the sharing of ideas.”
The third and last day of the
festival began with spiritual songs
by Neda Shakiba and ended with a
tribute to Baul Rob Fakir.
There were panel discussions
on novels, poetry, cinema, Arab fiction,
translations, genetics, Muslin,
women in sports and many more.
This year’s literary congregation
witnessed a stellar list of speakers
from 18 countries, including Nobel
Laureate VS Naipaul, one of the
greatest living writers, who attended
the festival as the guest of honour.
•
RAJIB DHAR
Ahmed was awarded with the Tarun
Katha Sahitya Puroskhkar. The Gemcon
Sahitya Puroshkar’s 2014 recipient was
Hasan Azizul Haq.
Ahmed Mostofa Kamal, Zakir
Talukder, Selim Al Deen, Syed Shamsul
Haq and Shahidul Zahir, Nirmalendu
Goon were past recipients of the
Gemcon Sahitya Puroshkar. •
Editor: Zafar Sobhan, Published and Printed by Kazi Anis Ahmed on behalf of 2A Media Limited at Dainik Shakaler Khabar Publications Limited, 153/7, Tejgaon Industrial Area, Dhaka-1208. Editorial, News & Commercial Office: FR Tower,
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