Journalists’ narratives are rooted in reality

Chandigarh: The three-day Journalists' Literature Festival, being held at the Chandigarh Press Club, Sector 27, culminated  with a series of engaging sessions that captivated literary enthusiasts from across the region.

The final day commenced with a thought-provoking session on fiction writing, where esteemed authors Chetna Keer, Aditya Kant, Sanjay Versain, and senior journalist Aruti Nayyar delved into the theme of "Mirroring social concern and changes through fiction."

Chetna Keer’s book ‘Garnets Under My Gulmohar’ comments on climate change, Kant’s book ‘High on Kasol’ shines the spotlight on drug trafficking, and Sanjay Versain’s ‘Pee For Protest’ fleshes out the anatomy of protest.  

All three writers have taken up social issues and challenges. On being asked by Nayyar whether they see themselves as activists, Kant said, “I write for myself and do not expect my writing to bring a sea change. However, my novel and the issue of missing persons in the Parvati Valley has resonated with many people, most recently a woman in Canada whose son went missing in valley in 2022 reached out to me. In our book, we have the luxury to give a happy ending, a chance rarely afforded in journalism.” 

Keer also said that she is happy being a storyteller and does not want to take up the mantle of being an activist. “As journalists your narratives are rooted in reality. For instance, my book mirrors climate change and the shifting landscape after the pandemic.” 

Versain said, “Journalism is a medium of change. It is meant to inform, enlighten and bring about a change. If someone wants to write, they should simply start writing.” 

Nayyar observed that it was earlier said that journalism was literature in a hurry, but now it literature itself is being produced in a hurry in our age of hyperrealism where attention spans have shrunk so much.