Women Writers' Festival: An Inclusive Platform For All Of Us

Last year, after a little encouragement from my editor, I decided to attend the first edition of Women Writers' Festival in Pune. I was unsure about what I was expecting from it. It was just that as a female writer, I felt isolated, clueless and devoid of any acquaintances who would just nod at me for being part of a fraternity.

I sat among a hundred plus audience, which was equally eager to explore this new platform just for women who wrote. And by writing I don’t mean just books. There were bloggers, screenplay writers, poets and social media influencers. So many women, from varying backgrounds, with contrasting bodies of work and across age groups. Within ten minutes of walking into the festival, I felt I was home.

Tomorrow, I will be speaking as a panelist at the second edition of Women Writers' Festival in Pune. From a new author, feeling lost despite having three publications to her name, to writing opinion columns for SheThePeopleTv, which organises the WWF, to making new acquaintances and to now being a panelist tomorrow, Women Writer’s Festival is the starting point of this amazing journey I have been on since last year’s edition. Which is why, I feel more women should attend it, because there is much to take home with you from it.

An opportunity to be part of a community of like-minded women

As women writers, each one of us has our share of struggles, but probably the biggest one of them all is to find support and solidarity

We all aspire for greatness and recognition, to get published and have decent sales and social media presence. But most of us just don’t know how do it. And who do we ask? There are not many we know who can guide us. And popular writers on social media are mostly busy and unreachable.

SOME TAKEAWAYS-

• The second edition of Women Writers' Fest in Pune will happen tomorrow (Sept 8) at Kala Kollective.
• As female writers we all have our share of struggles, but the biggest one is to find support and solidarity.
• The Fest is a platform for women not just to interact with other writers, but to develop a community full of support and with a powerful voice.

Which is where Women Writers’ Festival comes in. For me and many who attended it last year, it was a golden chance to meet our favourite authors and bloggers. To interact with them and to get their guidance. But more than that, there was a sense of belonging to a community. Of sitting among women with common interests and sharing personal stories, experiences, doubts and fears. The assurance that there are other women like me, with similar set of struggles, somehow soothed the restless writer in me.

This is a platform which gives us a strong voice. It gives us a chance to start a dialogue and take back a lot of conversation home with us

Being a published author by then, numerous women reached out to me for tips and I was so happy to be able to share my experience. Then it was my turn to seek help as I timidly approached Kiran Manral and was completely disarmed by her warmth and how approachable she was. It was later that I realised how approachable everybody was out there. You didn’t need prior introductions. You could just walk to any and every woman and start a conversation. I ended up having lunch with complete strangers and we had such a fulfilling conversation about books, our love for writing and how we were all in search of guidance.

Women Writers' Festival helps you become a part of the large community of female writers who are in the same boat as you. It is inclusive and a democratic platform which intends not just to help you but to open avenues for you. Find new acquaintances, interact with authors, cement friendships and commit to lend a helping hand to others. It can all start here for you.

Each one of us has something to contribute to this community, and this is where we connect and embark on a journey with each other.

Also Read: Why The F-Word Is Still The Most Misunderstood Term