Read On!

“A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies; the man who never reads lives only one.”

– George R. R. Martin

The quote above was picked out of a plethora of platitudes about the joys of literature. Indeed, so many great thinkers and influencers of modern thought have praised the discipline as integral to personal and social development that it would be easy to fill a book (let alone a blog post) with their sayings.

Such is the power that literature has over the human imagination. For as long as we have had written communication, someone has been producing literature. Epic stories like Homer’s Iliad as well as academic manuscripts like Kautilya’s Arthashastra have endured for millennia, and have become cultural institutions.

History has proven that great literature often outlasts even the civilisation that birthed it. That is the reason that even in a world where Twilight and Vampire Diaries are a pop culture phenomenon; Bram Stoker’s Dracula is still considered the archetype of all horror literature.

Inspite of this apparent tradition of permanence, the art form is constantly evolving. Like a living thing, literature grows and adapts to the demands of its world. The ancient epic led to the Victorian classic which made way for The Great American Novel. Today, a new voice is establishing itself. Writers from the Third World now have eager audiences willing to pay to read their work. Penning a bestseller is no longer the exclusive domain of privileged authors in developed countries.

India is also surfing this literary wave. Being an author in this country is not a thankless job anymore, with a host publishers and a booming market. Just ask Amish Tripathi or others who have tasted similar success in recent years. Even the readers themselves are growing; with the attendance and interest in literary festivals skyrocketing over the past five years.

AVID is proud to have been associated with the boom in Indian Literature, partnering with platforms that celebrate this trend, such as the Jaipur Literature Festival and Literature Live. We aim to reach out to the literary minded Indian and get them to jump in and join the fray. We want to turn spectators of the Indian literary scene into participants.

Our literature faculty comprises of some very prestigious names, all of whom are happy to share their expertise and prowess with students at AVID workshops. We aim to cover the entire writing gamut, with topics as diverse as Comedy Writing and Travel Writing and many others, in both the fiction and non-fiction categories. For example, our next literary offering is a Poetry Writing workshop with veteran author and the chronicler of Mumbai, Jerry Pinto.

Don’t procrastinate, participate! Join AVID on our journey to Indian literature’s promised land!

AVID: Inspiring learners

There is no greater thirst than the thirst for knowledge; and at Avid Learning, we are as thirsty as they come. Since 2009, we have been tirelessly working to dispense learning and knowledge across the social spectrum.

It is important to know that no person can know everything. Pursuing knowledge is not the same as pursuing omniscience. However, it is imperative to keep learning long after your “student” days are behind you. We are all students in some way or the other, whether it’s the new housewife learning to cook for her in-laws or the senior business executive trying to wrap his brains around a new-fangled iSomething.

So at Avid Learning, we try and offer a diverse range of workshops and events that cater to a multitude of needs. We operate in a very creative and dynamic space, with our fingers in a multitude of pots. Cookery, Photography, Theatre, Art, Culture, Heritage, – AVID has been acquiring knowledge in these fields and many more.
Textbook expertise is not our goal, however. Interactivity is the hallmark of an AVID event. We believe that there is no teacher superior to experience, which makes us ensure that all events are hands-on affairs. Our faculty act less as teachers and more as guides, and encourage dialogue with the participants at all points. The activities and faculty, combined with the cheerful participants fill the AVID events with life!

At the events, the joy of learning new information is clear to see. From the youngest to the oldest, each participant walks away with something new to ponder in their head. This broadening of horizons is exactly what we aim for; because at AVID, we believe that a person’s growth only stops when their thirst for knowledge dies. Keeping that thirst alive is important, as knowledge is the only precious material which, once acquired, can never be taken away. So we wish to ignite a desire to learn, and consequently grow, in everyone we come across, which is our principle of “Inspired Learning”

So, if you’re open-minded and want to add value to your life, watch this blog! And remember, Learning Never Stops!