A Date with Literature, Culture and Art: What We Learnt at Hyderabad Literary Festival, 2019

 All Smiles: Members of Quills Literary Club enjoy some light moments at  Hyderabad Literary Festival, 2019. 

The 9th edition of Hyderabad Literary Festival (HLF) took place from January 25th -27th, 2019 at Hyderabad Public School. With this year's Guest Nation being China, the festival kicked off with showcasing many stalls and exhibitions celebrating literature, poetry and art in many forms. Numerous literary and poetry sessions were held throughout the 3 day celebrations along with stage talks and cultural events. Special focus was put on Chinese literature and films and delegates from China, along with other imminent personalities, spear-headed the festival. Some of the students of RBVRR Women's College, who volunteered at HLF this year share their interesting journeys. 

Our Lovely Lecturers at HLF , Department of English, RBVRR Women's College 

Mounica:  I was fortunate enough to volunteer as a content writer in the social media team at HLF 2019. My job as a volunteer differed from others as in, I had to write summaries/reports of the Literary sessions and workshops that took place at the Festival and upload them on a website to promote the Festival. I never imagined I'd find interest in our constitutional laws or the ambiguity of religions or if Gandhi would be relevant today; but throughout the duration of HLF, I was exposed to many amazing workshops and sessions that I regret not knowing about HLF before this year. Attending sessions and rushing to write reports was a little exhausting but at the end of the day, when I'd submit my reports to the team editor; the satisfaction I felt couldn't compare to anything else. I also had the privilege to meet famous authors, speakers and poets. The way people from all walks of life came together to celebrate literature was inspiring to me; I now dream to return to HLF a few years later as a speaker too. Volunteering at HLF is

easily the richest experience of my life and I can't wait to go back next year to learn and grow a little more.

Proud Moment for QLC Members: We received certificates from the Directors of HLF, Prof. T. Vijay Kumar and
Kinnera Murthy ma'am

Anisha: I’ve never had the opportunity to volunteer at a festival, let alone one pertaining to literature. This opportunity was completely unexpected. Initially, I was quite apprehensive but now I’m quite pleased that I had made the right choice in choosing to volunteer. The entire HLF experience was new and unique. Though it was hard work, I had taken to it and that’s when I perhaps found the running around and writing summaries as fun rather than tedious. Overall, HLF has been a platform through which I have been able to work on language and communication skills; and maybe I’ve taken a step further in dealing with my  fear of challenging social situations.

Proud to be nominated as 'Best Reading Club' by India Reading Olympiad

Pranathi: I volunteered for the Hyderabad literary Festival 2019, in the social media group as a content writer. This was my first time volunteering for such an incredible festival. This experience was a journey of self-discovery. As a student of  Business Management, it's important for me to be able to interact with others and improve my skills. HLF was a platform where I met new people an enriched my knowledge further. I volunteered for all three days of the festival, and every person I met was a veteran in some or the other field. My work at HLF included attending sessions, summarizing it and uploading it on social media platforms. This little work had given me a sense of responsibility and It feels special to be recognized by people for what we were doing. This journey taught me a lot and helped me discover myself. It was stressful but fun too. I hope to be a part of HLF as long as I can.

Anooksha: HLF 2019-The cocoon breaking experience of my life. All my fellow volunteers and I were nervous and excited before the initiation of the festival; I was hesitant if I would be good enough to volunteer for such a huge event. The very first day of HLF, I had already learned so much and I realized that nobody was expecting you to be perfectionist; mistakes are okay. The whole event was inspiring with beautiful poetry, interesting stage talks and beautiful art pieces.  Standing in the middle of a crowd full of intellectuals, great writers, important personalities helped me realize where I stood in life. Being in the visual-content creator team was a wonderful experience; covering the event, interviewing people, and capturing moments felt like a special job. We had to step out of our comfort zone to do the job so as to not let down our team coordinator and make the pictures of the event look as lovely and happening as it was in reality. In a nutshell, HLF is one of those experiences one needs to experience at least once in their lifetime; an journey where we learn, explore, reconnect with art and literature and find ourselves. The art, the book stalls, messages through the beautiful installations, the dances and cultural events in the evening and everything else was such a beautiful experience.

Rithika: We are always so focused on either being a part of the audience or being on stage that we never pay attention to the behind-the-scenes work. This is what I felt when I volunteered for HLF. It was refreshing and wonderful to see from a different perspective; to be that person who can observe everything that is happening around and capture them, not only on camera but also in our mind's eye. This experience has fueled my thirst for literature and showed me that there is a lot more I have to learn. HLF has given me a glimpse of a world where everything is overflowing with colors rather than the monotone of black and white.

We are incomplete without crazy Selfies :)

If Colors Had Sounds: The Winning Essays (2)

The little girl picked up a red block and examined it. She frowned and picked up a green block this time, examining both the blocks in her hands. She knew they looked different but all she could see were varying shades of grey. She knew she was different too. Mrs. Claudia, her favorite doctor, told her so. 

She had said,"Ella, you're different. There are colors you cannot see but that doesn't mean you're weird. You are a special type of different."

Ella put down the blocks and remembered how sad her Mommy and Daddy had been that she was different. They did not tell her out loud of course, but she heard her Mommy crying at her bedside that night. A sudden question flashed in her mind and she picked up as many blocks as she could in her tiny hands; and skipped over to her Mother, who was preparing dinner in the kitchen. Her Mother was humming a tune under her breath and swaying her hips. Ella loved music; maybe it was because her Mommy sang to her every night. She quietly placed all the blocks on the table and called to her Mother, "Mommy?"

"Hmm?"

"If colors had sounds, what would they sound like?"

Her Mother turned around surprised and gave her an almost pitiful smile before she turned off the stove and sat across from her. "Hmm...let's see, which color do you want to know about?"

Ella tried to pick the most interesting shade of grey she could see among the blocks. "What about this?" she asked tentatively. 

"Oh! Red! Well, that's brilliant!" her Mother gasped.

"It is?" she asked cautiously. 

"Yes, of course! If red was a sound, it would be a very loud sound! Like your Daddy's snores!" 

Ella giggled while her Mother picked up another block and held it up.

"And this is yellow! If yellow was a sound, it would be your uncontrollable laughter!"
Ella clapped gleefully. She liked how the colors sounded.

"Pink! Oh, I love Pink!" her Mother said showing her a block.

"Then it can be the sound of your singing Mommy! I love it when you sing!"

Her Mother laughed gently and kissed her forehead.

"What about this Mommy?"

"Green! Let's see, it could be the sound of leaves dancing in the wind."

Ella tried to remember everything her Mother was saying. She did not want to forget these sounds of the colors. They sounded beautiful.

"And this is blue," her Mother continued,"It has a very sad sound because it is the sound of you crying." Ella made a mental note to not cry too much in the future. She did not want to be blue.

"And what about this Mommy?"

"Oh, that's orange. It is the sound of your Daddy's car! Vroom Vroom!"

"Is Daddy's car orange Mommy?"

"Yes."

And so, by the time her Father came back home in his orange car, Ella had learnt all the sounds of the colors.

                                                           
                                                                                               - Mounica Alamuri,
                                                                                                  B.A. 2nd Year.

Flowers and Fathers: Poems By Tahreen

Blossoming Life

They come in different colors,

And weave a charming garden for others.

They come in blue,

They come in pink.

Their petals give a clue,

Of their genetic link.

Children view them as a toy,

Youngsters take them as joy.

Lovers find them alluring,

While the old find them soothing.

Their sweet-smelling fragrances,

And their honey-sweet nectar.

Some pluck them to study,

While some pluck them as a hobby!

Red, yellow, white, purple,

Violet, indigo and mauve of lilacs.

Decorating houses, hair, clothes

And carriages drawn by horses!

The poor sell them for their living,

The rich wear them for their glamour.

Daffodils, roses, lilies,

Sunflowers, lotuses and tulips.

Jasmines, lavenders, orchids,

Blossoming life beyond limits!

My Father

The one who taught me to live,

And the one who taught me to love God.

The one who helped me when I was down,

The one who always knew the reason behind my frown.

He always held me up,

And never let me down.

The only one after my mom,

The only one with me in a storm.

The one who never cared for his needs,

The one who taught me about good deeds .

Oh Daddy!

I'm happy to have you,

'Cause in my book of love,

You're chapter one!

- Tahreen Fatima.