The Promising SALA Festival Garners Attention For Its Bold Vision And Theme, ‘Humanity
Literature and Art can take you back in time to learn about life on Earth from the ones who walked before us.
As a result, we can better understand and appreciate the culture. We know through recorded history via writing or visual communication, in the forms of manuscripts, and through speech. Literature influences and makes us understand every walk of life.
The 4th Annual South Asian Literature and Art (SALA) Festival commits to making a lasting impact through contemporary programs. Founded in 2019, Art Forum SF is back with a bang to present the in-person 2022 SALA Festival. The vision is bold; the theme is “Humanity,” to examine how the world has categorized each other into boxes, a community of different colours, classes, and castes.
Telling stories is a common human nature. Literature lies at the core of life and inner world experiences. The knowledge of other people’s lives in time and space often influences thoughts and opinions on unexperienced issues. Reading good books or writing them allows an inner experience of the world that would take more than a hundred lifetimes. SALA Festival aims to examine and celebrate different points of view but also recognize that, ultimately, humanity triumphs.
“Outside of India, there is very little awareness of the cultural diversity of the Subcontinent. In terms of Literature, barely any translations from South Asian languages make it out of the region. However, festivals such as SALA spotlighted an array of exciting work coming out of South Asia,” shares Daisy Rockwell, 2022 Booker Prize-Winner for translating Tomb of Sand by Geetanjali Shree.
At SALA Festival, gather to hear the direct defiance of the eminent Indian actress Swara Bhasker. Plus attend Contemporary Art Walk, Contemporary Writers Row, Epicurean Highlights with food scientists’ and more highlights include hands-on activities like henna and rangoli, children’s crafts, dance, music, painting, food, and a bar that will offer beer, wine, and soda.
“The South Asian contribution to Silicon Valley is well known. By showcasing world-class writers, artists, and thinkers, SALA is bringing well-deserved recognition to India’s contribution to the arts in Silicon Valley and the world,” said Davan Maharaj, a journalist and the former editor-in-chief and publisher of the Los Angeles Times.
He adds, “my conversation with Dr. Yengde is important to be in the public forum at SALA Festival as Suraj has written a seminal book that holds up a mirror to Indian society. I was pleased to see that the Nobel Laureate and India’s own Amartya Sen said Suraj’s book chronicling the treatment of Dalits clamored for a moral requirement to question those who have been enjoying–and still do–unequal political privileges.”
There are many reasons to be part of this exclusive festival and get inspired by the excellent line-up of talent. It is an opportunity post-2022 Diwali to give your family a gift of unique experience and soak into the world of literature and arts. Audiences can participate in discussions with authors and attend the book signing.
“South Asian Literature captures the oral tradition of storytelling on the page so that we may gain a deeper understanding of our heritage and share that perspective with the larger world,” said Alka Joshi, author of The Henna Artist, 2020 New York Times Bestseller.
Montalvo Arts Center and Art Forum SF present the SALA festival in partnership with Stanford Center for South Asia & UC Berkeley Institute for South Asian Studies.
Date October 29-30, 2022.
Time Noon – 6:30 pm.
Place Montalvo Arts Center
15400 Montalvo Road, Saratoga, CA.
Tickets are $30/day and $50/weekend at www.salafestival.org
“I know I will take away the ideas of world-class writers and thinkers. And of course, the fine offerings from some of the best chefs in the business,” expects Davan Maharaj at the end of a conversation with Art Forum SF.
Art Forum SF is a not-for-profit that strives to define and promote all art forms emerging from South Asia.
