How Ukhrul’s first literature festival aims to preserve oral traditions

Ukhrul: The first-ever Shirui Lily Literature Festival, part of the 5th edition of the state’s Shirui Lily Festival 2025, has brought readers, writers, publishers, artists, and cultural practitioners together to explore storytelling as a tool for preserving histories, shaping identities, and imagining a more thoughtful future.

In a time dominated by fast trends and fleeting content, the festival seeks to foreground the enduring significance of reading and writing in fostering understanding and reflection.

According to Mashun Khangrah, one of the organisers, this is the first time that a literature festival has been incorporated into the Shirui Lily Festival in Ukhrul district.

“We have a rich storytelling tradition, and most of our identities come from the stories we have from our ancestors. But a lot of that has been lost with the advent of technology, and many people are moving away from the stories that have made us who we are,” said Khangrah to EastMojo during a visit to the festival, being held at TBG 125 Hall, Mission Compound at Alungtang, Hunphun, in Ukhrul district.

Khangrah, who is also the proprietor of Pasei Books and Studio in Ukhrul town, added that the event creates an opportunity to push in a direction where more people are encouraged to write, read, and collaborate. “It’s about building a culture where we explore our own stories,” he said.

For Ukhrul, known for its rich oral traditions and cultural depth, the introduction of a literature festival is both a natural progression and a bold statement: that stories from the hills have a rightful place in the wider literary discourse, said the organisers.

The festival features speakers from across and beyond the Northeast, including Deepthi Talwar, executive editor at Penguin Random House India, and Mmhonlumo Kikon, an author and BJP spokesperson. These speakers represent a diverse spectrum of voices, genres, and lived experiences that reflect the region’s literary vibrancy.

The Shirui Lily Literature Festival is being organised by a collective of young cultural workers and literary enthusiasts from Recognise Rise and Empower Association (RREA), Prologue Bookstore and Library, ishi, and Pasei Books and Studio. The event is supported by Mariwala Health Initiative and the Department of Tourism, Manipur, with Ukhrul Times as the official media partner and Ukiyo Bookstore as the bookstore partner.

“I think a lot of people are engaged with the world around them, and this is one way of doing that in a meaningful way. This is a push for them to write more, tell more stories, and hopefully build our literary society,” added Khangrah.

During the festival, workshops on the art of visual storytelling and how visual media can be used to preserve culture and memory were conducted by illustrators and photographers.

One of the key themes of the festival was cultural assimilation in Tangkhul society, particularly the influence of Western cinema and the growing impact of Korean pop culture. These conversations highlighted how global cultural trends are shaping youth identities, aspirations, and intergenerational dynamics within the region.

Never an easy task

Unlike other festivals, where organisers get sufficient time to prepare, Lum Shaiza, who is also part of the organising team, said they had only around 30 days to prepare for the literature festival.

However, despite the short notice, the young literary enthusiasts from Ukhrul managed to pull it off, marking a milestone in introducing a literary component within the broader cultural programme of the Shirui Lily Festival.

Another challenge was mobilising school students. “Due to the Shirui Lily Festival, all schools in Ukhrul town were on holiday, so we were unable to directly reach out to students. We had to rely on school visits and persuade teachers and principals to encourage students to attend despite the holidays,” Shaiza shared.

She also noted that sourcing books from different genres was a hurdle. The organisers had to contact people and literature societies of various tribes to gather books. “We also reached out to White Owl, a bookstore based in Dimapur, Nagaland, which has a large collection of books by Naga authors. But the biggest challenge was not knowing who had written what,” she added.

At least 200 participants were seen attending each session of the literature festival, immersing themselves in a world of books and storytelling. Besides connecting with fellow book lovers, the festival also created opportunities to meet writers, authors, and publishers from the community and beyond, offering deeper insights into the art of writing and storytelling.

‘Make books the centre of our learning’

According to Mmhonlumo Kikon, a poet, writer, and politician from Nagaland, the literature festival is one of the most essential features of the Shirui Lily Festival as it brings authors, writers, and publishers together, providing a valuable space for readers. With four books to his name — three collections of poetry and one on history — Kikon is a notable figure in the literary scene of Northeast India.

“The main agenda of this platform is not just to foster reading habits but also to motivate and ensure that books are at the centre of our learning. This is a critical event and one of the most important components of this festival,” said Kikon, who attended the first-of-its-kind literature festival in Ukhrul as a speaker.

He also expressed that interactions between mainstream publishing firms and local writers at such events can boost the region’s literary standards.

According to him, many writers, authors, and scholars from the region have been publishing their works, and the rise of local publishing firms has enabled them to find their voice. However, if writers wish to reach a wider audience beyond the Northeast, they need to meet the standards set by larger publishing firms.

While acknowledging that literature from the region receives less national attention, Kikon also pointed to pathbreakers from the area who have been published by mainstream houses and achieved considerable success.

Also Read: Nagaland’s literacy rate among India’s best, but where are the jobs?

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