The Way We Were: HLF 2018 by V. Neharika and Navya Verma

"One of the best experiences I've had in my life so far, is being a part of the Hyderabad Literary Festival. Initially, I was not clear about my role as a volunteer but when I attended the first day of the fest, I learned that I was a member of the Registration department. In the duration of the three days of the fest, I communicated with different people of different states and different countries. There were two events that I liked the most in the fest. First, was the exhibition called 'Good Food' where we had to eat a fruit and write down the memory we have associated with it, on a rock. I found this concept to be very creative. Second, the 'Youngisthan Ukkad' in which they introduced new elements in the form of featured acts, street gallery and Mehfil, along with an open mic. HLF has helped me greatly in improving my volunteer skills. I sincerely thank all the directors and organizers of HLF for giving me such a good opportunity. I also thank my College, the Principal and our Lecturers of Commerce department for permitting us to volunteer at HLF. I also convey my heartfelt gratitude to Grace Madam, Jhilam Madam and 'Quills literary club' for introducing us to HLF."

                                                                                   -  V. Neharika.

                                                                                   BCOM IIIC

"I recently participated as a volunteer in the Hyderabad Literary Festival, 2018. This was my second time as a volunteer for HLF, as I had already participated in HLF 2017. It was a wonderful experience last year and hence, I was excited for this year as well. HLF is an yearly, international event where writers, artists and well-known personalities gather from all over India and other countries alike. This year, Spain was the guest Nation while Kannada was the Indian language in focus. I choose to volunteer for the workshops, as I wanted to participate in them and gain knowledge, along the way. I was put in charge for the 'Tree Of Life' workshop which included Story Telling by Arati Kodali, Story Writing by Toral Shah, Creating Monsters and Other Night Creatures by Ana Cristina Herreros. With the help of these workshops, I learnt the importance of stories and different ways of describing a story. It was fun to make the monster mask and I was satisfied as I had made my own mask, well. Tree Walk, Rock Walk and Heritage Walk were also conducted at HLF, this year. Through these walks, I learnt the names and importance of trees, heritage buildings and rocks in our surroundings. I was interviewed by reporters from Sakshi TV regarding HLF and to motivate people to visit HLF. Even though I was a little nervous since it was my first time to do an interview, I felt happy watching it later with my parents. I was also delighted to meet Sanjana Kapoor, the daughter of Shashi Kapoor, as she was one of the speakers at HLF 2018. I also met the author Sudeep Nagarkar, whose notable works are 'Few Things Left Unsaid', 'It started with a friend request' etc. Overall, the environment at HLF was very friendly and peaceful. I miss the fun and good ambiance of HLF as it was a much needed break from the assignments, records and lectures in my routine."

                                                                                   -  Navya Varma.
                                                                                   BCOM IIIC