This new festival in Mumbai dedicated to millennials celebrates micro-fiction

Spoken word poet Shamir Reuben will be among the speakers at the event

It is an event on the lines of a literature festival, but with many differences. There won't be any serious panel discussions, the speakers will have personal interactions with audience members (yes, selfies might be a part of these, too) and sessions won't last for hours. We are referring to the first edition of The Micro-Fiction Fan Fest (TMFFF), to be held in the city this weekend.

"There are so many literary fests taking place everywhere, where micro-fiction was just a theme. However, now, this form is emerging slowly - there are people dedicated to writing only micro-fiction - and the demand is increasing," says Khushboo Balwani Rawal, who founded the festival with her friend, Hiral Malde Shah. "We wanted an event solely dedicated to micro-fiction, so this is India's first micro-fiction festival."

Khushboo Balwani Rawal

The duo has curated the entire two-day event, which, according to them, is dedicated to the generation of millennials. The goal: keeping it short and simple.

"I think millennials have a short attention span, and they are not the kind who will sit for back-to-back sessions. We wanted to mix things up a little, so you will find workshops interspersed with poetry readings and discussions. There is fun, but you also take something home," assures Shah.

Hiral Malde Shah

Expect a workshop on how to write your story by storytelling platform Terribly Tiny Tales; a panel discussion, From Print to Digital, on what has changed and not changed in the two media; a discussion on the evolution of micro-fiction with actor Gaurav Gera, poet Shamir Reuben and creative head at an on-demand music app, Kirthi Shetty; and performances by the storytellers of Kommune, and YouTube star Nikhil Shetty.

"This is a niche event, but the audience will get a chance to build a personal rapport with the speakers. Since we are limiting the crowd to about 200 people, even the speakers will be able to share a better connection with their fans and answer their questions," adds Rawal.

"Most people aren't aware that there is a sub-genre called micro-fiction, even though it is something they are consuming on a daily basis.

This should give them a better idea," says Shah.