The Bradford Literature Festival (BLF) is a yearly celebration and ongoing cultural outreach initiative that brings together a rich tapestry of literature, music, theatre, cultural dialogues, lectures, and family-oriented activities. The 2023 edition of the festival is set to take place from 23rd June to 2nd July.
The festival is bringing the Tharoor siblings- Shobha, Smita and Shashi together to share an intimate account of their beloved mother and iron-willed woman, Lily Tharoor. The siblings will discuss their mother’s life story chronicled in the book ‘Good Innings: The Extraordinary, Ordinary Life of Lily Tharoor’ by Shobha Tharoor Srinivasan.
Lily Tharoor was driven by her fierce independence and ambition and consistently urged her children to embrace unconventional thinking. According to Lily, the only foundation strong enough to rely on is the one that you create through your own endeavours. Shobha Tharoor Srinivasan beautifully blends personal reflections, valuable life lessons, and profound philosophical insights in her book.
Apart from the ‘Good Innings’ event, Syima Aslam, Director and Founder of the Bradford Literature Festival expressed her opinion on the inclusion of the South Asian diaspora in the festival to Asian Voice. “Quite simply, arts, culture and literature have the power to change lives. And everyone should have access to that, including those in the South Asian community”, she said.
“What makes our programme and audiences "diverse", is the fact that we programme for our primary audience: the people of Bradford. Bradford has a long history of migration, from the Irish and Jewish German, to South Asian and Syrian. There are over 150 languages spoken here.”
She also discussed the showcase of the rich and varied culture of the South Asian diaspora at the festival including– “ Navin Kundra and the 515 Crew’s live concert celebrating the golden era of Bollywood cinema and a conversation with Vasay Chaudhry, one of Pakistan’s best-loved and most well-known public figures in screen and media.”
“Our aim isn't to merely list identities and devise a range of events for each. Our offering is designed to widen interests and stimulate conversation and curiosity”, she said.
