The Writer-Critic and Literary Studies

A two-day symposium presented by the Centre for the Creative and the Critical, organised in collaboration with Ashoka University

Detailed break up of the symposium:

Speakers include Vidyan Ravinthiran, Associate Professor of English Literature, Harvard University; and author of two collections of verse; Jane Goldman, poet and academic, Reader, School of Critical Studies, Glasgow University, and founding General Editor, Cambridge University Press Edition of Virginia Woolf's works; Sumana Roy, author of How I Became a Tree, a work of nonfiction, Missing: A Novel, My Mother’s Lover and Other Stories, and Associate Professor of English and Creative Writing, Ashoka University; Ashutosh Bharadwaj, writer of various forms of prose, from conflict reporting and investigative journalism to fiction & literary criticism; Rosinka Chaudhuri, Professor of Cultural Studies and Director, Centre for Studies in Social Sciences, Calcutta, writer and poet; Martin Crowley, Professor of Modern French Thought and Culture, University of Cambridge; Rita Kothari, Professor of English and Director, Centre for Translation, Ashoka University; Michel Chaouli, teaches literature and philosophy at Indiana University Bloomington; author of Thinking With Kant’s Critique of Judgment (Harvard University Press, 2017); Amit Chaudhuri, novelist, poet, essayist, and musician; Professor of Creative Writing and Director, Centre for the Creative and the Critical, Ashoka University. He conceptualises the 'literary activism' symposia; Lisa Borst, web editor of n+1 magazine; and Matthew Beaumont, Professor of English Literature, University College London, and author of several books, including Nightwalking (2015) and The Walker (2020).

Coordinated by Maj. Gen. (Retd.) Ashok K. Mehta

The Return of Prachanda: How will India-Nepal Relations pan out

Panelists: Amb. K.V. Rajan, former Ambassador to Nepal; Mr. Bhaskar Koirala, former Director, Nepal Institute of International and Strategic Studies, Kathmandu; Shri Atul K. Thakur, Nodal coordinator, India-Nepal Centre PHDCCI; and Ms Navita Srikant, Financial and Security Advisor and Analyst

 Chair: Maj. Gen. Ashok K. Mehta

 Nepal has undergone a long period of political instability. Third time Maoist Prime Minister Prachanda is expected to visit India on his second state visit this month. His government is backed by eleven parties including the largest, the Nepali Congress – not a recipe for stability. The panel will discuss how India-Nepal relations will play out

Indo-western fusion music with Satish Sharma, well-known guitarist, composer, lyricist and singer.

With Arjun Sen (electric guitar); Ustad Athar Hussain (tabla); Harvinder Singh (percussions); Paras Nath (flute); and supporting vocalists

Satish Sharma presents original compositions in a unique style of playing Indian ragas on nylon string guitar with blues and jazz riffs. The repertoire includes Rangilo Maharo Sanwariyo Sarkar based on Raga Miyan ki Todi 

Release of the book edited by Syed Akhtar Husain and Md. Arshadul Quadri (New Delhi: Primus Books, 2023)

The book will be released by Prof. Sukrita Paul Kumar, Guest Editor, India Literature, Sahitya Akademi

Followed by a discussion with Prof. Syed Akhtar Husain, Professor, Centre of Persian and Central Asian Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, and President, Institute of Indo-Persian Studies; Dr. Md. Arshadul Quadri, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Persian, University of Lucknow and Vice-President, Institute of Indo-Persian Studies; Prof. Udaya Kumar, School of Languages, Literature and Cultural Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University and author of Writing the First Person: Literature, History, and Autobiography in Modern Kerala (New Delhi: Permanent Black, 2016); and Prof. Ranjani Mazumdar, School of Arts and Aesthetics, Jawaharlal Nehru University and author of Bombay Cinema: An Archive of the City (2007)

(Organised by IIC-International Research Division)

By Chinmaya Gharekhan, disciple of Pt. Amarnath and Smt Shanti Sharma and presently a disciple of Pt. Vidyadhar Vyas

Accompanists: Pt. Vinay Mishra (harmonium); and Pt. Vinod Lele (tabla)

Introduction: Suhas Borker

Amb. Gharekhan, a long and distinguished career in the Indian Foreign Service, he served as foreign adviser to Prime Ministers, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi and was India’s Permanent Representative to the U.N. in New York
 

Persian Translations of Indian Works: Their Relevance and Importance

Illustrated lecture by Prof. Sharif Husain Qasemi, former Professor, Dept. of Persian Studies, University of Delhi

(48 min; 2023; Hindi with English subtitles)                                                                                                                      

Director: Sanjay Sharma
 
A documentary that traces Arvind’s 75-year-long journey in the creative world of words as writer-journalist-lexicographer. A journey that begins as 15-year-old Arvind enters a printing press as a mere typesetter, reaches the pinnacle of journalism, and then, gives up the editorship of the highly-acclaimed film magazine Madhuri to fulfil his long-cherished wish for a thesaurus in Hindi. And after twenty long years of solitary endeavour presents the world with Samantar Kosh Hindi Thesaurus, India’s first modern thesaurus. It is the story of one man’s diligence, dedication and devotion.  
 

WEBINAR -SYMPOSIUM  ONLINE

Symposium: The Non- Aligned Movement and the Crisis in the Contemporary World Order

Chair and Speaker: Prof. Muchkund Dubey, President, Council for Social Development

Speakers: Prof. Branislav Gosovic, Retired UN Official from the former Yugoslavia; Prof. Connie Rahakundini Bakri, Centre for Strategic Studies, University of Indonesia; Prof. Beatriz Bissio, Interdisciplinary Centre for Asia, Africa and South-South Relations, Federal University of Rio de Jeneiro, Brazil; Prof. Isaac Bazie, from Burkina Fasso, Professor of African Literary and Cultural Studies, Director, Laboratory of Innovative Africa, University of Quebec in Montreal; and Amb. Vijay Nambiar, former Indian diplomat and Chief of Staff to the UN Secretary General and Special Advisor on Myanmar

Welcome: Prof. Nitya Nand, Director, CSD

Introduction: Prof. Manoranjan Mohanty CSD

Report on the Bandung-Belgrade-Havana Commemoration Conference in Indonesia in 2022: Dr. Darwis Khudori, Professor, Faculty of Oriental Studies, La Havre University, Normandy and Convener, Bandung Spirit Network

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84851933725?pwd=MW1zSk0vMUluOXBEVXg2QTU0NmZpU…

(Collaboration: Council for Social Development)

IN THE MULTIPURPOSE HALL FROM 10:00 TO 13:00
Understanding the Metaphysics of Movement – The True Spirit of Nritta

Day II of the workshop on Natyshastra 
Led by Dr. Piyali Bhattacharya

At 16:00 in C.D. Deshmukh Auditorium
Lec-Dem on Yoga and Dance
Embodiment and Choreography in the language of Odissi
By Dr. Rekha Tandon, Pondicherry

At 18:30
YOUNG DANCERS FESTIVAL
Sattriya Recital
By Mridusmita Das from Guwahati

Followed by
Bharatanatyam Recital
By Pavitra Krishna Bhat from Mumbai

Organised in collaboration with Natya Vriksha; Ministry of Culture, Govt. of India; and with the Support of Friends of Natya Vriksha

IN THE MULTIPURPOSE HALL FROM 10:00 TO 13:00 
Understanding the Metaphysics of Movement – The True Spirit of Nritta
A workshop on Natyshastra 
Led by Dr. Piyali Bhattacharya, Director, Chidakash Kalalay, Kolkata

AT 16:00 IN C.D. DESHMUKH AUDITORIUM
Seminar: Role of Arts in Education
Curriculum Building, Integrated Learning and Empowering Stakeholders

Discussants: Shashi Banerjee, Director of Education, Shiv Nadar Schools; Manjima Chatterjee, Vice Principal, Shiva Nadar School, NOIDA; Amritha Sruthi Radhakrishnan, Research scholar; and Radhika Kathal, Arts Educator, dancer

Moderator: Geeta Chandran

At 18:30
Natya Vriksha Lifetime Achievement Award
To be presented to Smt Kamalini Dutt for her seminal work in documenting dance

YOUNG DANCERS FESTIVAL
Odissi Recital
By Shalakha Rai from Delhi

Followed by
Bharatanatyam Recital
By Dr. Divya Devaguptapu from Chennai