Bengaluru: Young readers are increasingly drawn to fiction written by activists, with elders in literary circles encouraging the trend, Kannada author Vasudhendra observed at the third edition of the Book Brahma Literature Festival here Friday.Speaking at a masterclass on honest storytelling, Vasudhendra said empathy towards people with opposing viewpoints is critical to creating compelling stories. “Stories emerge when we look at the world with a perspective we may not like. Stories are not merely listing out facts,” he said.However, he noted that activists who turn to fiction may struggle to step outside their own perspective. Vasudhendra, who is an out-and-proud gay man, cited writing about homophobia as an example. “If I picture all homophobic people as villains in my stories, I’ll be the worst possible storyteller. Only when I accept that they might be unfamiliar with homosexuality, the story emerges. Even though homophobia is wrong, I need to understand that there might be a lack of knowledge,” he said.He also said truth operates differently in literature than in journalism or law. A story does not necessarily become untrue because of factual inaccuracies if it succeeds in making readers empathise with its characters.Citing Kumaravyasa’s retelling of the Mahabharata, he pointed out that the poet described jackfruit and arecanut trees, though these are not native to northern India. “If a reader can empathise with the character, the other description is immaterial,” he said. His novel Tejo Tungabhadra, set in Lisbon and Hampi, similarly received feedback from readers who found his description of Lisbon more convincing than that of Hampi.From medieval writingsA panel discussion on the role of literary tradition in shaping contemporary literature explored the continued relevance of classical and medieval Kannada writers. Moderated by professor and Kannada literary critic MS Ashadevi, the discussion was held at St John’s Auditorium in Koramangala.“Behind the thought process, perception, perspective and other aspects shaping a writer’s work, there is always a conscious or unconscious interaction with tradition,” Ashadevi said.Writer Krishnamurthy Hanur, who has studied Kannada folk traditions, tribal culture and classical literature, said understanding past literary, political and historical developments is fundamental to contemporary writing. He questioned whether Kannada literature can be discussed without Pampa, Kumaravyasa, Basavanna, Allama Prabhu, and Akkamahadevi. Their works, he said, contain themes that are timeless.Hanur also highlighted competing perspectives within the same period. While the Vijayanagara era is often portrayed as prosperous, Kumaravyasa offers a contrasting picture despite being from the same era. “Kumaravyasa described the king as a demon, ministers as roaring tigers, royal officials as vultures, and spoke of the burning state of the country with nobody to listen to the appeals of the poor,” he said.
