Chandigarh, Nov 10 : A three-day literary extravaganza - Abhivyakti 4.0 - an exemplary initiative of the Army Wives Welfare Association (AWWA) concluded on Sunday on a note of high positivity and resilience with former diplomat Navtej S. Sarna and celebrated author Radhakrishnan Pillai sharing their insights on trials and tribulations of writing as an intellectual pursuit.

The day's proceedings in Chandimandir, near here, started with a keynote address by Pillai, this was followed by Lt General Manoj Kumar Katiyar, GOC-in-C, Western Command, releasing 'General's Jottings,' a book by Lt General Kamaljit Singh (retd).

Pillai in his keynote address shared his views of different aspects of book writing and also emphasised the need for developing a reading habit to be a good writer.

'Each of us has a story to tell and we need to know how to tell that story. India is a country that is reading in multiple languages but the books that are being read are mainly textbooks. So, we have the opportunity to make people read non-text books as well,' said Dr Pillai.

In his conversation with senior journalist Vipin Pubby, Sarna, India's former Ambassador to the U.S., shared his thoughts on different dimensions of creative writing in reference to his noted work -- 'The Exile and Crimson: A Novel'.

Admitting the dilemma of writing historical fiction, Sarna said: 'Distorting or not distorting facts is a challenging proposition. I have been very careful about details. I have used fiction only to fill in the gaps.'

Sarna said, 'Many things are not known about Udham Singh. Don't distort history. Be true to history. Dates have to be true.'

Sarna also spoke about Maharaja Duleep Singh, the youngest son of Sher-E-Punjab Maharaja Ranjit Singh and Maharani Zinda, the central theme of his novel 'The Exile'.

A lively panel discussion on 'Rekindling the Habit of Reading' moderated by journalist Soni Sangwan, saw panellists Ajay Jain, Vandana Palli and Saguna Jain dwelling upon challenges and opportunities of inculcating the habit of reading among today's youngsters.

Moderated by Ambreen Zaidi, a panel discussion on 'Digital Narratives: Storytelling in the Age of Screens' brought experts such as Shikha Akhilesh Saxena, Gunjan Mishra, Amrinder Maan and Maj Nithi CJ (retd) together, delving deep into the subject and challenges ahead.

Editor-in-Chief of The Tribune Jyoti Malhotra in her closing remarks highlighted the role of literature in society and also shared her experience and journey as a female journalist.

Shuchi Katiyar, Regional President AWWA, proposed the vote of thanks. The grand closing ceremony of Abhivyakti 4.0 also saw a medley of regional dances by a cultural troupe of the NZCC, Patiala.

/IANS