Chennai Literary Fest to raise toast to Tamil writers

Chennai: The fourth edition of Chennai Literary Festival beginning January 9 promises opportunities for young writers, especially for those who write in Tamil.
 Chennai Literary Association (CLA) and more than 30 colleges in and around the city have joined hands for the festival that will organise events like debate, creative writing, poetry, brainteaser, quizzes and many more events to promote literature among the younger lot.

The event will be inaugurated at Madras University on January 9, following which the focus will shift to Loyola College and Ethiraj College on January 10 and 11 respectively.

Latha Rajan, CLA president, said the initiative is aimed at promoting young readers and writers, as reading has taken a severe hit due to dominance of digital media. "To our surprise we find an increase in the number of participants each year, that too from rural areas. This year we expect at least 5,000 youngsters to take part in the event, whose mind will be kindled to experience the richness of literature," she said. The association also presents awards two young writers each year to encourage them in the pursuit of their passion towards literature.