Literature offers optimism and hope in difficult times: VP Naidu

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Friday said literature opens pathways to new experiences filled with hope and optimism in difficult times.

“Literary texts recreate places, events and experiences providing a magical escape into a world in which we lose ourselves,” he said.

Speaking at the inauguration of the Times Literature Festival 2021, Naidu said in a crisis, it is literature that poses the most relevant questions and comes up with pertinent answers. Literary figures, through their work, appeal to our imagination in many ways — as creative writers, moralists, guides and philosophers, among other things.

The Times Litfest has been introduced in a virtual avatar for the first time this year and will be held from August 27 to October 17 with sessions on Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday. It will include more than 100 authors, close to 70 sessions, and 20 workshops.