Bolai is a quiet, intuitive child who feels most at home in his uncle’s garden. His heart is ensconced in a Shimul or silk-cotton tree. Every time his uncle plans to cut it down since the tree stands in the middle of the archway, Bolai protests. Rabindranath Tagore’s short story, Bolai, wrought this writer’s memory with the need for eco-consciousness at 13. Apart from its roaring call for action, environmental literature is a robust reminder of nature-assisted survival. The Greenlifest is a virtual literature festival that aims to take conversations around climate ahead and reroute green literature into the mainstream.

Benedict Paramanand is considered one of the leading global gurus of sustainability. Also, the Bengaluru-based founder of the fest calls their upcoming first edition an inaugural session of a long-term vision. “The pandemic is an at-hand example of years of environmental degradation. With that as our immediate reference point, we must realise that green literature solicits reactions beyond awareness.