Travel is more about finding who you are than just seeing new places, the first session of Yaanam 2025—a new travel‑literature festival in India—illustrated on Friday night in Varkala, Kerala. Organized by the Kerala Tourism Department, the three‑day event brings together writers, journalists and scholars from across the country and around the world to talk about the art of travel writing.
The opening talk put readers front and center. Booker Prize‑winning Sri Lankan author Shehan Karunatilaka shared personal stories about how stepping outside Sri Lanka made him see his homeland in a new light. “I became obsessed with my country only when I was outside it, more than when I was living there,” he said. He praised writers like A.A. Gill for mixing sharp wit with a deep love for places they visit.
K.R. Meera, a celebrated Malayalam writer, compared her road trip to Kazakhstan with culture in Kerala. “Some shamanic practices there mirrored rituals in Kerala,” she explained, revealing a human thread that runs from South Africa to South Asia. Meera added that travel sparks her creativity—her popular novel Aarachar came to life while she was on the road.
Journalist Pallavi Aiyar highlighted how people share common daily worries, no matter where they live. “From Japan to Europe, traffic, food and routines are the same thing,” she said. She reflected on how travel can reveal what it means to be Indian, and the difference between escaping conflict and backpacking across Europe.
The festival is moderated by Sabin Iqbal, a curator who looks to explore not only continents but consciousness. About 50 speakers will also appear over the next two days to share stories, test the boundaries of culture and discuss how observation and travel shape our identities.
Yaanam 2025 is shaping up as more than just a gathering of stories about distant lands. It is a meeting spot for people of all backgrounds to hear the shared rhythm of human experience, and to learn that the best journeys often start from the road we’re already on.
Source: ianslive
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