Much has been said about the newly introduced ticketing system that has been established as a prerequisite to gain attendance to this year's Dhaka Lit Fest. And while there have been valid criticisms that should be taken into consideration in regards to organizing future editions (addressing the numerous issues in PR and social media management seems like a good start) there is still a number of concerns that while make sense on a surface level, when further scrutiny is applied, fall apart at the seams.
One of the main criticisms has been on the fact that past editions of the Dhaka Lit Fest have had free admission, and putting a price on art creates an arbitrary class system that segregates between the haves and have-nots when it comes to the right of engaging with literature as a whole.
While an issue like this should not exist in an ideal world, the truth of the matter is the world we live in is anything but ideal. Late-stage capitalism is the name of the game, and in order to survive and thrive in such an atmosphere, it is necessary for actions to result in an economic incentive for continuance.
At the end of the day, the Lit fest is a massive endeavour that needs the contribution of a huge number of people to pull off. The installation of infrastructure, the planning, the day-to-day management are all things that are the end result of time and money, and unless there is an economic incentive to continue such an effort, the fest would cease to begin with. We also need to keep in mind that writers are professionals like anyone else, and what they do during the lit fest is part of their jobs.
If we fail to pay them for their time, it is not out of the question that they would stop engaging with the fest altogether. Take the New Yorker Festival for example. It is the premium destination for art enthusiasts for a reason -- they have the economic resources and organizational capability to bring in the A team. The sub-continent has suffered in this regard but Lit fest has always made an effort to do its best with the limited resources they have.
Starting this year, it is no longer feasible.
Furthermore, while the Lit Fest is launched with support of the ministry of cultural affairs, again, the scope of such an event makes it difficult for the ministry to bear 100% of the cost. To reiterate, the event itself needs to generate revenue in order to make it sustainable. As such, going forward, I don't see what Lit Fest could have done differently.
On a separate note, the introduction of a VIP ticket is the most genius thing that Lit Fest could have done. This can be considered as the top tier of a Patreon campaign, if I am allowed to cite an example from the current digital zeitgeist. Not everyone can afford these tickets, but given that the services rendered remain the same, it is not necessary.
As long as there are VIPs who are willing to pay more to show their support, it means that the general can breathe easy as they won't have to pay as much.
Fakrul Abedin is a senior economist.
