Culture and literature; why they matter – Patricia Mukhim
Culture is the sum total of a peoples’ way of life, their language, expressions, dress, dance and songs but above all it’s the history and memory of a community, without which they would have no sense of a shared past. Culture is identity and for tribal communities living in a vast country like India with its huge religious, cultural and language diversities can be intimidating. Hence the tribes cling to their cultures as to dear life and fear that a so-called mainstream culture could lead to a loss of their identities…
The Lodger / The Owner – G Balachandra Menon
The way I define the space around me makes me a ‘lodger’ or otherwise. The plain fact that I live with my near and dear ones is not a necessary determinant that decides my status. I can take such a narrative forward in so many routes. For instance, I can consider myself a lodger on this planet from point A in time to point B in time. This line leads me on to astronomical, astrological, cosmic, environmental and existential dimensions of narration. I am trying to find out what doesn’t make me a ‘lodger’ if at all such a…
The Shortest Way with Dissenters – Mini Chandran
Assassination is the extreme form of censorship, said George Bernard Shaw. Daniel Defoe, in his tongue-in-cheek proposal for the best and shortest way to deal with dissenters, exhorted the authorities to “crucify the thieves”. The jokes seem to have become terrifyingly real and unfortunately seem to be the order of the day when dealing with dissent. It is even more unfortunate that this desire to silence dissenting voices is not confined to totalitarian despotic regimes but has become a regular…
TALENT TURF
Rajinder Kumar Ranjha
Chandan Kumar Jha, a recipient of Junior Research fellowship 2013-14 from cultural ministry, is a…
Krishna Mohan Singha
KH. KRISHNA MOHON SINGHA is the son of late Kh Gulindra Singha and Mrs. Purnima Devi. He was born…
Saran Muskan
Nepali writer, Saran Muskan, began writing at the age of 14. He was the recipient of Prem Sherpa Biroki Smriti…
READING ROOM
Translated stories by two important women writers have just reached us Lalithambika Antharjanam’s stories and that of the Bama Faustina the incomparable Dalit writer from Tamil Nadu Between them they reflect the changing mores and issues of India through six decades
NEWS
K. Sachidanandan wins Ezhuthachan Puraskaram 2017
Thriuvananthapuram: Poet K. Sachidanandan has been selected for this year’s Ezhuthachan Puraskaram, the highest literary honour that is given by the Kerala Sahitya Academy. The award includes a prize money of Rs 5 lakh and a citation. The poet was selected for his contributions to Malayalam language…
Iona Opie, 94, Authority on Childish Things, Is Dead
Iona Opie, a British folklorist who worked with her husband, Peter, to produce major studies of nursery rhymes as well as the oral traditions of games, jokes, nicknames, taunts and pranks among schoolchildren, died on Oct. 23 in the town of Petersfield, in Hampshire, England. She was 94…
Girish Karnad to be honoured with Lifetime Achievement Award at upcoming literature festival
Veteran actor and playwright Girish Karnad is all set to be honoured by Tata Literature Live! Lifetime Achievement Award 2017. The award will be presented to Karnad, 79, at the literature festivals annual awards ceremony which will be held on 19 November at the National Centre for the Performing…
Ruskin Bond’s autobiography won Atta Galatta-Bangalore Literature Festival Book Prize
Ruskin Bond’s autobiography, “Lone Fox Dancing”, has won the 2017 Atta Galatta-Bangalore Literature Festival Book Prize in the non-fiction category. It is a memoir from the hills that talks about his eventful life. The book also contains over 50 photographs. “Brutally candid, Bond’s…
Contemporary Face of Indian Literature -Focus Malayalam “There is no competition in literature there is only contribution”- K R Meera, author of Arachaar(Hangwoman) speaks on contemporary literature in Malayalam.
GATEWAY LITFEST The melting point of literary streams
WELCOME TO THE 4TH EDITION OF GATEWAY LITFEST TO CELEBRATE WOMEN POWER OF INDIAN LITERATURE
4th Edition Feb 22-24, 2018 | NCPA, Mumbai
Central theme: Women Power in Indian Languages •• To be the largest gathering of Women Writers •• •• Over 50 women authors from 20 languages •• •• Veteran and upcoming writers •• •• Sessions on tribal writers and translation •• •• Book launches, books exhibition, poetry readings ••
