Raiganj to host three-day North Bengal Literary Fest from Dec 5

Raiganj: The three-day-long North Bengal Literary Festival and Little Magazine Mela (fair) is set to commence in Raiganj from December 5, marking a historic cultural event for the district. The programme has been jointly organised by Paschim Banga Bangla Academy and the District Information & Cultural Office. State Education Minister Bratya Basu will formally inaugurate the festival at the grounds of Surendranath Mahavidyalaya in Raiganj. The event is expected to witness the participation of several renowned writers, poets and literary personalities from Kolkata, making it one of the grandest literary gatherings ever held in North Dinajpur.

In preparation for the festival, a meeting was held on Monday at Surendranath Mahavidyalaya, attended by Sandip Biswas, Administrator of Raiganj Municipality, Tanmay Bhattacharjee, SDO Raiganj, Subham Chakraborty, District Information & Cultural Officer, and Chandan Roy, principal of the college. According to the organisers, more than 500 poets and writers from various districts of North Bengal will participate, alongside more than 70 stalls dedicated to little magazines and literary journals.

Locals and the literary community have shown great enthusiasm, noting the rarity of such a large-scale literary initiative in the district. Ashok Roy, a poet from Raiganj said: “Once upon a time, numerous literary newspapers and little magazines were published from North Dinajpur, but many disappeared due to financial constraints. We hope this festival revives the literary spirit and encourages the younger generation”.

District Information & Cultural Officer Subham Chakraborty stated: “Three separate stages will be dedicated for literary performances, readings and discussions. The Academy has already invited around 100 poets and writers from North Dinajpur to present their work, while ministers from various parts of North Bengal are expected to attend the festival on different days. This grand mela will surely inspire the creative and literary community of North Bengal.”