This is unheard of, unseen and unforeseen. Or why a 50-page catalogue being printed for a book launch ceremony? What Kannur witnessed on Saturday was a one-of-a-kind event. A programme so unique that 60 authors — veterans, amateurs, experimentalists, writers by chance and more — united to publish their works at one venue. Diverse genres and styles, one thing was in common, friendship. This novel initiative by publishing house Insight Publica based in Kozhikode is a tribute to the state of Kerala that turned 60 in 2017.
So much has happened from January to this big day of accomplishment. Journalist-turned-author V.H. Nishad, editor of the novel series and one of the writers, chronicles, “The first thought came in the year 2017. Hunting down young writers was the next thing. Most of us being active authors in parallel, a WhatsApp group was formed. We discussed who writes what, read aloud what we wrote, sat and travelled together, selected titles and made creative interventions on how the cover pages should be,” he says thanking Sumesh Insight, the editor, for his resolve. The cause turned to be so genuine that one author, Amal, sat in Japan and wrote his work.
Experimental writers are aplenty. One has tried his hands at a graphic novel. Nishad himself is a character in his novel; another one has interspersed text in both Malayalam and English, and it goes like that. Abdul Salam, a college professor and a poet, was ‘forced’ to be a novelist. His was Meenpoocha. “No mainstream publisher has dared to release 60 books at once. For some, it was time for a comeback. I was made to try my hands at a genre I am new to. Above all, there’s camaraderie. One author is my teacher. A student, whose guide he was, is another. We were given a ‘creative quotation’,” says Salam.
R. Thushara, whose writing stint began with a novel, had a long sabbatical. For her, it was a chance to return to where it all started. “The break occurred once I got married. I have a family — husband and three kids — to take care of. Writing faded in the long run. Kids go to school and I came up with a collection of poetry in the meantime. Never thought I’d be writing a novel once again, until this assignment came calling. The ceremony had no mic announcement or any other signs of formality. Like the way we planned, it ended so well,” says Thushara from Kozhikode.
All 60 books would soon tour the book expo of Kerala State Library Council.