Setu: Happy 36th!

Anurag Sharma

It feels like yesterday when Sunil Sharma from Mumbai, and Anurag Sharma from Pittsburgh, had a short phone conversation to discuss the launching a global platform supporting top two languages of the world. With 700 authors, 3000 article, 745,000 unique hits, two published books, and 36 monthly issues, Setu is a dream come true for two crazy cousins.

Because of the love expressed by all of you, the contributors, and readers Setu has completed three successful years. The Setu Bilingual International Literary Festival (SBILF), held on May 25, 2019 in Toronto, Canada marked this milestone. Hindi authors like Hansa Deep, Dharm Jain, Sameer Lal, Suman Ghai, Saran Ghai, Ajay Gupta, and Akhil Bhandari graced the function by their presence.

English poets like Scott Thomas Outlar, Heath Brougher, Sharon Berg, Narinder Bhangu, and Sangeeta Sharma, all featured in English edition, were also present along with Arvind Narale, the artist of Vilom fame, and Tom Hamilton, the poet and the musician.

Dr. Sonia Taneja flew exclusively from Stanford University to attend the event. Setu is proud to announce the publication of her Hindi through English 2 Workbook in July 2019, so that the same is available for level 2 students of Hindi before beginning of next session.

Some of our local friends conveyed their wishes but could not join the event due to a Hindi conference taking place in the city elsewhere. I appreciate their support too.

The person behind the camera isn't visible in the pictures. My special thanks to Surya Sharma for silently, and tirelessly capturing all the highlights of the SBILF event in still and video form and also telecasting it live on Facebook whenever wireless network permitted to do so.

On behalf of Setu, I would like to thank Amit Tewari, Sidharth Sharma, Navneet, and other volunteers who silently helped making SBILF a success by arriving well before the event, setting up the venue, arranging refreshments, displaying signs and banners, receiving the participants with welcoming smile, printing and distributing program schedule, and finally packing up after the program.

In a time when a lot of people are working hard to build walls of separation, segregation, we are glad to be part of this international bridge called Setu, where we can cross mighty rivers easily to reach each other and experience the warmth that connects us. Setu, a bilingual journal of art and literature is our humble effort to connect a disconnected world, to learn from each other, appreciate differences, celebrate diversity, and make this world a better place, one piece at a time.

Patrons, we could not have done it without your love and support. Thank you all.

With best wishes,
Anurag Sharma
Setu, Pittsburgh

Setu, May 2019