Guwahati: The third edition of the White Owl Literature Festival and Book Fair, presented by Penguin India, was inaugurated on Thursday at Zone Niathu by The Park in Chümoukedima, Nagaland.
Celebrating literature, ideas, storytelling and cultural exchange, the festival brings together authors, poets, thinkers, publishers and readers on a common platform for dialogue and creative engagement.
Addressing the inaugural session as chief guest, Nagaland Legislative Assembly Speaker Sharingain Longkumer described the festival as a gathering of “beautiful minds.” He said reading shapes thought and speech, and ultimately defines identity, urging readers to engage with books with passion and purpose.
Calling the festival a celebration of stories and inspiring ideas, Longkumer said the theme chosen by the festival director was timely and relevant. He also praised the journey of the festival’s curator, describing it as a story worth celebrating in itself.
Highlighting Nagaland’s tribal diversity and India’s broader cultural plurality, he said storytelling remains one of the most powerful ways of sharing lived experiences. He expressed hope that the festival would serve as a space for authors, publishers, storytellers and readers to exchange ideas and learn from one another.
Referring to the growing influence of digital media, Longkumer cautioned against exposing children to it prematurely. He urged parents and educators to promote reading habits and preserve folklore, stressing the importance of allowing children to grow up rooted in literature.
Delivering the keynote address, senior journalist and first woman president of the Press Club of India, Sangeeta Barooah Pisharoty, recalled that the inaugural edition of the festival stood out for taking literature to one of the country’s remotest regions while connecting local readers with a wide spectrum of writers.
She said the festival created meaningful networking opportunities between national and regional authors, helping nurture a literary ecosystem in a region often associated primarily with ethnic conflict. According to her, the groundwork laid in 2024 has helped establish a significant new literary space in Northeast India.
Pisharoty noted that literary festivals contribute not only to cultural and intellectual growth through dialogue and critical thinking but also support local economies by encouraging tourism. She acknowledged initiatives such as the Shillong Poetry Circle for amplifying English-language writing from the Northeast, tracing the region’s literary growth from the 1960s to its wider recognition in the early 2000s.
The first day opened with a session on Anime and Manga, featuring Japanese artist Toshiyuki Honda and other panellists. Honda explained the difference between manga and anime, noting that while manga exists on paper, anime animates still images through motion. He credited Osamu Tezuka, creator of Astro Boy, for shaping the global manga movement and highlighted Disney’s influence on Japanese animation.
Emphasising manga’s universal appeal, Honda said it has helped children across cultures develop reading habits. He also expressed concern over violence-centric games and called for more animated works rooted in folklore, pointing out that countries like India and China possess rich storytelling traditions. Creative work driven by passion, he said, never feels like suffering.
The second session, Stories by the Sacred Fire, focused on oral storytelling and featured narrators Chollen Chang, Tokishe Achumi, Ramdi Nren and BR Kemp.
During the inaugural ceremony, the White Owl Librarian’s Honour was conferred on Meseno Peseyie for her role in establishing the Nagaland Library Association. Peseyie, currently serving as joint director of Art and Culture, has been actively involved in strengthening district and rural libraries across the state.