Dalgado Konknni Akademi will be hosting the Konkani Writers’ Convention at Ravindra Bhavan, Margao on November 18 in a bid to ignite the passion in any writer to take up the mission seriously
Daniel F de Souza
The much awaited Konkani Writers’ Convention organized by the Dalgado Konknni Akademi will be held at the Conference Hall of the Ravindra Bhavan, Margao on November 18. Dalgado Konknni Akademi is organizing such literary conventions at regular intervals and the conventions have immensely benefited the Konkani literateurs, promising young writers and the Konkani lovers in general. This year the convention will be inaugurated by Pune based Isidore Dantas, an established Konkani writer and literateur.
For more than ten years or so, Dalgado Konknni Akademi has been conducting various literary activities in the State and specially in the distant rural areas and villages across Goa for the benefit of the Konkani writers in Roman script and the same has today borne immense fruits. These workshops and literary meets have scouted and identified young writers with the DKA encouraging young and promising writers to publish their own books in Konkani.
The DKA is also organizing various literary workshops and seminars at regular intervals by inviting experienced and established writers to impart literary knowledge, and widen the scope of literary pursuits of promising Roman script writers.
Therefore, the Writers Convention organised annually is an event that is looked forward by the writers as well as Konkani lovers. It must be said to the benefit of the DKA that all the literary conventions they have organized in the past have tasted success and many new young Konkani writers have taken seriously to the literary pursuits.
Benefits of holding a writers convention
Literary conventions provide multiple benefits to the writers of the language. It is a good opportunity to meet and interact with other established writers and exchange views on the literary front. It gives an opportunity to the budding writers to listen to other experienced and established writers and broaden their knowledge and horizon in the field of literature. Writers Conventions are like the much needed fuel to ignite the passion in any writer to take up the mission seriously.
As the Writers Convention is a forum to present papers on various intellectual literary topics followed by extensive intellectual discussions and debates, it gives an opportunity to the writers to learn the finer aspects of literature and improve the standard of their works. By organizing such conventions at periodic intervals, DKA is fulfilling the need and literary hunger of prospective Konkani literateurs.
DKA gives a lot of emphasis on the grooming and training of young and budding Konkani writers, and extends all help and assistance to them to improve their knowledge in the literary field.
DKA stresses with all the writers to engage in writing Konkani in the standardized version as per the norms advocated by the Academy through their approved standardized guidelines published in the book ‘Sangati’ written jointly by Konkani writers Vincy Quadros and Menino Almeida.
Literary conventions are not only a great opportunity for writers to exchange views and ideas in the field of literature with their peers and other seniors, but it gives them a platform to express their mind and sort out the doubts and difficulties with other senior writers that they may encounter in their day to day literary works.
It gives them an opportunity to interact in person informally as well as formally with their fraternity, which otherwise is not possible since they come from different locations. It also helps different writers at the Convention to build inter-personal relationships and closer bonding for furtherance of their activities.
Conventions also inspire budding writers to take their hobby seriously and move up in their passion.
Free intermingling of writers at the convention venue can bring out many unknown facts and open up opportunities to improve their passion and pave the way for a better opening for writers who are serious in pursuing literature as a career.
Young and budding writers are the biggest beneficiaries of such literary conventions, because the resource persons, as well as the panelist will be generous with their advice and sharing knowledge and experiences without any reservations in their chosen field.
Expectations from this
Convention
This year’s convention will see paper presentations on two important topics ‘Contribution of the Youth is Essential to the Development of Konkani’ by Dr Cosma Fernandes, Konkani Professor, MES College and ‘Challenges before the Konkani Writers’ by Marcos Gonsalves, writer and journalist, followed by views of panelists on sub-topics pertaining to the main subject and panel discussion with the learned panelists.
The seriousness of the DKA in grooming the younger generation in taking up the challenges faced by the Konkani language is evident from the fact that, the topic chosen for the first session is focused mainly on the youth and their role as writers for the development of Konkani and how they can be brought closer to the Konkani literature.
Also, the use of the mass communication by the youth for the benefit of the language is being equally highlighted. By taking this step and from the activities the DKA conducts to involve the youth in the development of the language, Konkani language will see better days in the future. The DKA is confident of attracting around 200 writers and lovers of Konkani from across the State for the Writers Convention.
(The writer is a freelance journalist and Konkani author)
