JLF 2022: "Your looks sell your books, they said to me"; the plight of female writers, above & beyond

The last day of JLF was all about magic of poetry, engulfed with diversed thoughts on writing stories of all kinds.

In a session 'A Thousand Miles: To Hell and Back', Journalist Barkha Dutt talked about the plight of migrants during Covid-19 and how she covered each story, from a 'rickshaw wala' to a 9-year-old girl on a journey to return to their homeland when virus took its toll. "I would cry and write, but I would write those stories. Because it is meant to be remembered. Those dire times," said Dutt. During the session, British poet Ruth Padel recited her beautiful poetry on migration and holocaust.

In another session, Shobhaa De discussed her book and female authors in conversation with author Gurmehar Kaur.

She talked extensively about how female authors are judged not only on the basis on their writing but how they look too. "It is pretty annoying when they say your looks sell your books. I say to them, I wish your looks could also sell your book, haha," De satirically pointed out.

During the open discussion round when an attendee asked Gurmehar that how to keep going on writing when people look down on you, the author said, "When people look down on you, it is tough choice to keep going on. It won't always be roses. But one must go on writing."

The day ended with amazing poetry performances by Jeet Thayil, Arundhathi Subramaniam, Ruth Padel, and Ranjit Hoskote.