How Mizoram is celebrating reading, writing and literature, one step at a time

It's October and it's winter in Mizoram. In two months from now, the picturesque northeastern state will be celebrating its biggest festival, Christmas. This year, however, the festivities have already begun with a bang and books. The hill state recently hosted its first-ever literature carnival in its capital city Aizawl from October 17-18.

The two-day book carnival—LEI—Mizoram Literature Festival 2024—was a success and more importantly, it marked Mizoram’s official entry into India's "literature festival circuit". The word Lei holds multiple meanings in the local Mizo language. It can be either bridge, earth or tongue.

Almost every state in the country has its literature festival. Some even have more than one like Kerala and Uttar Pradesh—with four each. Thanks to the hugely successful Jaipur Literature Festival which was started in 2006. It completely changed the dynamics turning authors into celebrities and books are promoted to be sold like "hot cakes".

The book festival is a step forward in changing the literary firmament of Mizoram as readers and writers (from Mizoram and across the country) came together under one platform to discuss, read and browse books without interruption.

Reasons for late entry

So what took Mizoram with a thriving reading and writing culture so long (as long as 2024) to have its literature festival?

The question can't be answered in a sentence. The hill state has many award-winning novelists, poets and non-fiction writers. They dabble in both the Mizo language and English. Some well-known writers are Nuchhungi Renthlei, Ralte L Thanmawia, A Zakia and Malsawmi Jacob, to name a few.

Music and books are Mizoram's two favourite passions. While music is celebrated at a grand scale in public forums (from churches to concerts), reading and writing are often solitary pursuits (as they demand also) to the point that many talented writers work in obscurity. Any gathering to discuss and read books is usually small.

The lack of translation of Mizo language books to English and other languages is also an issue.

Several authors told The Federal a book festival was a massive financial exercise. "It is usually difficult to persuade sponsors to support literary activities in the Northeast region. The region is always a neglected part of the country. Its literature is also neglected even though we have spectacular writers who have written great books," said an Assamese poet and novelist, who did not want to be identified.

Authors from the region also say, “The writing from Northeast India has been stereotyped.”

"It has to be either about conflict, folklore or myths. I am a writer (primarily) and I can write about anything. But usually, I am expected to write about conflicts. There is a need to reconstruct the literature coming from this part of the country," said novelist and academician Hannah Lalhlanpuii.

A bookshop, a harbinger of change

Before the book festival, there came a bookshop-cum-café . In 2019, the northeastern state opened its first bookstore-cum-café —The Book Café Aizawl—in Aizawl. The capital city has other bookstores but the bookshop-cum-café has become a place where a reader can come, select books and read them while having coffee, desserts and snacks sitting in a corner. It has also become a destination for writers to interact with readers through book readings and poetry sessions. The place also hosts musical evenings and art exhibitions.

The bookstore regularly hosted famous writers from across the country, including Ramachandra Guha, Nikhil Alva and others, to converse with bibliophiles.

Vanlalruata Ralte, the founder of The Book Café Aizawl, said he opened the bookshop to provide a platform for young and aspiring writers of his state. Ralte also wanted to build a vibrant reading culture among his community members. "My travels across the country inspired me to open the bookshop. Finally, I opened it in 2019. Since then it has been a great journey amidst the books," added Ralte.

Over the years, despite the setback during the coronavirus pandemic when the bookshop was closed for a long period, Ralte and his team continued working towards their goal.

Their latest effort is the literature festival, an extension of the bookstore. The Book Café Aizawl in collaboration with Sahitya Akademi hosted the recent book carnival.

'Rambuai' and the healing power of literature

No one understands the healing power of literature better than the Mizo people. The dark clouds of two decades (1966-1986) of the Mizoram insurgency movement still loom large in the psyche of people.

The period is called "Rambuai" in the Mizo language. The word Rambuai means "troubled land" in English. A lot has been written about those times by novelists, poets and short story writers. Thus Mizoram has a literary genre called Rambuai. The writings in the genre highlight the troubled times when the Indian army unleashed destruction, displacement and rapes upon the civilians as a political tool.

Most of these writings were done in the Mizo language and a few in English too. The authors say writing about those horrific historical times is also a healing process from the pain.

Time to travel through translation

Lalhlanpuii, who writes in English, said translation was the only vehicle for Mizo writers to cross borders. "Most of the writings in Mizoram are happening in the Mizo language. Every year, 40-50 books are published in the local language, which is great. But ours is a small state with a small population. These books must be translated into English and other languages to get a wider readership," added the author. Her two recent books are: When Blackbirds Fly (2022) and Postcard from the Lushai Brigade (2023).

In recent times, the Mizo literary scene has shifted a bit. More young writers have started writing in English. These new voices are more expressive, bolder and open-minded. They don't hesitate to criticise many old traditions and practices. "Earlier, writers never dared to have a critical view of the church or the religion (almost 90 per cent of Mizos are Christians). They were always reverential towards our religion. But young writers are not afraid of pinpointing the wrongs plaguing our society," said a young Mizo poet, who did not wish to be named.

The themes for discussion

Authors, poets and scholars discussed various subjects—including modern Mizo writing, military history, translations, and publishing—at length at the literature festival. While writer and journalist Sanjoy Hazarika spoke on "Walking the Land/Listening to the Land", Professor Joy Pachuau from the Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi enlightened the audience with her insightful take on "Being Mizo".

Mizoram's Minister of State for Sports Lalnghinglova Hmar said, "The festival is proof that we have talented writers and they are ready to share their stories with the world.” He urged all writers to “keep writing fearlessly,” as they can create bridges in areas where there are tensions and troubles.

Hmar added that the festival demonstrated “that Mizoram is not just a small place in the hills – it is a vibrant community with stories that matter.”

The book fiesta's organisers said the success of the first edition of LEI was gratifying. “The next LEI will be bigger, with better participation and support. This is just the beginning, and the first time for us, so it is a huge learning experience,” Ralte said.