<i>Edinburgh book festival inspires writers</i>
The main feature of Edinburgh International Book Festival is that it inspires writers, observed litterateur Selina Hossain yesterday while sharing her experiences of this year's festival.
The writer took part in the festival from August 18 to 21 where 200,000 people visited 700 events of the festival. Some 650 authors from 40 countries joined the festival, which is considered a bridge to build relationship among writers, readers and publishers.
Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, is declared the first Unesco City of Literature in 2004 as a huge number of writers were born and brought up in the city. Even Kolkata has selected Scotland as the theme country for 2008 book festival, said Selina Hossain.
The writer said the festival showed how they are trying to promote and keep their folklore alive.
"In the Scottish Storytelling Centre, folklore stories are presented in a very interesting way through creating different surroundings," she said.
Another interesting event of the festival is mobile theatre, which is almost similar to 'Jatra', she said at the experience sharing session organised by the British Council.
During the festival, Selina took part in the Bangla author's session titled 'Writers of the World' at Peppers Theatre. There she read out the last portion of her much acclaimed novel 'Hangor Nadi Granade' and talked about the Liberation War in 1971.
She also participated in a Royal Society of Arts (RSA)-sponsored event with Edinburgh-based poet and writer Bashabi Fraser at Peppers Theatre on the launching of the book 'Bengal partition stories: an unclosed chapter' edited by Bashabi Fraser which included one of Selina's stories "Looking back."
Fringe Book Festival Event, organised by Word-Power Books, Elaine and Tarlochan at National Library Scotland, had the focus of Bangla writers where Selina read out her story 'Motijan's Daughter'.
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