Indian writing festival for London Book Fair
Some of India’s most influential and creative thinkers came to the UK during 18-24 April to the largest ever festival of Indian writing overseas as part of the British Council’s cultural programme at The London Book Fair.
More than 50 Indian writers representing 15 major Indian languages took part in literary events across the UK. The British Council partnered with The London Book Fair for the cultural programme – India through Fresh Eyes.
Writers speaking about India’s social, economic and political future included Nobel Prize winning writer, economist and philosopher Amartya Sen, Sunil Gangopadhyay, president of the Sahitya Akademi, India’s Academy of Letters, and Vikram Seth, award-winning author of A Suitable Boy.
Also attending was Rajathi Samsudeen alias Rokkiah (pictured) who writes under the pseudonym ‘Salma’. Born in a village in Tamil Nadu, South India to an orthodox Muslim family, she dropped out of school at 13. She is self-taught through reading books borrowed from public libraries and published her first book of poems, Oru Malaiyum Innoru Malaiyum, in 2000.
Iramdam Jamangalin Kathai her 2004 novel, was the first by a Tamil Muslim woman. The novel was long-listed for the Asian Man Booker award in 2008 and a translation by Lakshmi Holmstrom will soon be available in the UK by publishers Zubaan. Salma spoke at a seminar held at the British Library on gender and sexual politics and another on the literature of identity at the London Book Fair. She also took part in a poetry reading at the Nehru Centre.
Diversity, democracy, development
A conversation between Amartya Sen and David Miliband, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs launched the festival. David Milliband commented in his blog: ‘We discussed Indian diversity, democracy, development and the links of all three to its domestic and foreign policy. India is the success story of the subcontinent.’
Sujata Sen, Director East India, British Council, said: ‘Giving readers in the UK an opportunity to listen to diverse voices from India is what the British Council’s cultural programme is all about. While Indian writing in English has an international readership with Indian writers on top of prize lists and sales charts, international audiences are only beginning to discover the other world of Indian literature in vernacular languages.’
