iNDICA NEWS BUREAU-
The much-awaited South Asian Literature and Art Festival, SALA-2024, returns to Northern California. The mega event is scheduled to take off soon at the Encina Commons, Stanford, California. The Bay Area festival will feature highly acclaimed contemporary South Asian Art collections, and panel discussions on Art, literature, poetry, and cinema. Authors and artists from across the globe will represent their experiences through keynotes, panels, and live presentations.
The theme this year is ‘Plurality in Community’, where ArtForum SF explores caste, class, gender, and borders to understand how individuality and collectivity can coexist and collide. This festival is poised to celebrate its fifth year on September 28 and 29. Participants of the event will get an opportunity to listen to writers, artists, activists, and visionaries from within the South Asian Diaspora. They can also purchase original art, crafts, and jewelry made by forward-thinking artisans.
The SALA committee (Art Forum SF) has partnered with Stanford Center for South Asia to bring together speakers, writers, musicians, actors, novelists, poets, historians, painters, sculptors, psychiatrists, and artists to discuss their latest work, answer questions, and share their thoughts, and hopes for a better future.
Speakers include Tarik Currimbhoy, Dr. Anjali Arondekar, Kausar Munir, Shehan Karunatilaka, Dr. Sharika Thiranagama, Dr. Shashi Tharoor, and Dr. Dinsha Mistree. The South Asian Literature and Arts Festival will highlight thought-provoking panels on Art, Literature, Cinema, Epicurean, Journalism, Poetry, Social Issues and Mental Health. A panel discussion on “Ink from the Island” will include authors Shyam Selvadurai, Shehan Karunatilaka, V. V. Ganeshananthan, and author and moderator Nayomi Munaweera. The event will also feature an Open Mike session where the diaspora’s newest talent will present their best recent work.
Keynote speakers:
Celebrated Indian movie director: Imtiaz Ali, famous for his movies: Jab We Met, Ahista Ahista, Laila Majnu, Jab Harry Met Sejal, Love Aaj Kal, and most recently, Amar Singh Chamkila.
Art curator, contemporary art historian: Salima Hashmi known for her writings and activism.
Author, activist, politician, public intellectual, and Indian MP: Dr. Shashi Tharoor, known for his fiction and non-fiction writings: The Great Indian Novel, Why I Am A Hindu, Ambedkar: A Life
Booker Prize winner from Sri Lanka: Shehan Karunatilaka
Sri Lankan Authors: A band of Sri Lankan Authors, stars of the South Asian literary community.
Highlights of SALA 2024
- 22 Panel discussions on thought-provoking topics over two days.
- Open-air poetry and book readings to delight and awaken.
- Performances by Bay Area artists.
- Buy unique objects and artifacts from local South Asian brands
- Art Exhibition showcasing contemporary South Asian Artists.
