‘Olio: Obscure writings from Nagaland’ released

Our Reporter

Dimapur, Oct. 16 (EMN): ‘Wordsmithereens’, a group of writers based in Dimapur and also the Nagaland chapter of North East Writers' Forum (NEWF), released a book titled “Olio: Obscure writings from Nagaland” in Duncan, Dimapur, on October 16.

The book is published by Tajung Publications and sponsored by Nagaland Page.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. S Elika Assumi said that the book is a collection of poems, short stories, and essays from Nagaland, and is a maiden project of Wordsmithereens. She added that the contribution to the anthology was chosen to reposition the reception of their stories beyond the subject-matter of folklore and it is also an avowal of their folk origins and oral traditions, “vying like the fern for a place in their fast paced urbanity”.

Assumi informed that the writings were as much a response to the contemporary as they were an attempt to understand its complexities.

The publisher and sponsor note was delivered by the proprietor and publisher of Tajung Publication as well as the editor of Nagaland Page, Monalisa Changkija. She said that the term ‘Wordsmithereens’ could be perceived as the female version of wordsmith, which actually is a combination of the words “Word” and “Smithereens” and basically means “pieces of words”.

Changkija said that after the Nagaland chapter of the NEWF rejuvenated and reinvented itself, a dormant dream inside her started awakening to nurturing and harnessing the talent, potential and enthusiasm of young and not-so-young aspiring writers and poets.

She also informed that the Nagaland Page family has decided to mark its 20th anniversary by sponsoring the book as well as invest in endeavours that have the potential not only to enrich the lives of the disadvantaged but also sow seeds to help grow fruit-bearing trees in the future.

Changkija urged the Wordsmithereens to generate their own income from the first volume for the next volumes and maintain an acceptable level of quality. She also informed that ‘Olio: Obscure writings from Nagaland’ is the first book published by Tajung Publications.

She lamented that there is financial assistance-galore for musicians, sports-persons in Nagaland but little or no financial assistance for writers and poets. She added that even the little financial assistance endowed by the Raja Ram Mohan Library, Kolkata, through the state department of Art and Culture for published works of writers and poets of Nagaland, has been shrouded in mystery.

The book was released by Anungla Aier, a retired director of Higher Education. Former chairman of the Assam Public Service Commission Dhruba Hazarika also sent in a message.