London, Sunday 17th October 2010
Eighteen months after its inception, the inagural DSC South Asian Literature Festival opened at Rich Mix this weekend, a cutting-edge arts venue in Shoreditch in East London. This multi-dimensional festival, exploring the politics, languages and literature of the region through music, spoken word, visual arts and literary performance is Britain's first major event celebrating the rich and varied cultures of the South Asian region, through the world of literature.
The opening weekend highlights included a moving and illuminating discussion about the Kashmiri conflict, a beguiling musical performance by acclaimed writer Amit Chaudhuri, a fascinating journey to South Asia with Hardeep Singh Kohli, Geoff Dyer and BBC broadcaster George Alagaiah and a highly topical debate on the literary differences between India and Pakitsan featuring Commonwealth writer's prize winner Mohammed Hanif - together capturing the diversity and richness of South Asian literary culture in one of London's most atmospheric performance spaces.
Kicking-off with Power of the Pen: A Resolution for Kashmir on Friday night, audiences were treated to an in-depth analysis of one of the most pervading and divisive issues of the region with experts Justine Hardy and Victoria Schofield and BBC journalist and novelist Mirza Waheed. Schofield argued that argued that Pakistan’s weakened position presents a prime opportunity to India to reach a resolution, while the resounding sentiment of the night was to give Kashmiris their own voice and complete autonomy.
As the Kashmiri debate continued off-stage, the official festival launch party got underway with festival co-directors Jon Slack and Bhavit Mehta, participating authors, the festival sponsors DSC Limited and festival attendees indulging in delicious South Asian nibbles. An exhibition specially divised for the festival on the 'History of Asians in Britain' and curated by the British Library in association with the Open University, was also on show at the launch.
Amit Chaudhuri showcased his new album 'Found Music' and its unique mix of raga, jazz, blues and disco on Saturday night, while the award-winning writer wowed the festival audience with riffs on his musical and literary journey between songs.
In this afternoon's lively and engaging session Journey to South Asia: Lands, Language and Imagination, chair George Alagiah asked whether 'India can fire the imagination more than anywhere else?' Author Geoff Dyer commented 'India can be a frustrating place but it is never boring' and commenting further on the people of the region, George Alagiah said he was never in any doubt that the Commonwealth Games would go ahead 'the Indians are possessed of a can-do attitude and a pragmatism - just like the Americans.'
Also this afternoon and to commemorate the new Pakistan Granta issue, its editor John Freeman asked authors Farrukh Dhondy and Mohammed Hanif if there are comparisons between the literary talent that surface in India in the 1990s and that which is now emerging from Pakistan. India and Pakistan: Literary Worlds Apart? may not be the case at all but Dhondy and Hanif unanimously agreed that there is 'good and bad literature' in the diaspora as well as in their native India and Pakistan.
Stimulating discussion, lively debate, wonderful story-telling and the magic of South Asian culture have been the tenor of the opening weekend at the first DSC South Asian Literature Festival. The festival continues at an eclectic list of venues around the capital until 25 October and then around the UK from 26-31 October. Award-winning TV historian Michael Wood takes to the stage with Nikki Bedi at the British Library tomorrow night [18th October] and on Tuesday the festival locates to the Free Word Centre in Farringdon for some thought-provoking events programmed in association with Index on Censorship and English PEN: Words Without Borders: Literature in a Time of Conflict and From Fatwa to Jihad: The Culture of Offence in Britain.
More information here.
Eighteen months after its inception, the inagural DSC South Asian Literature Festival opened at Rich Mix this weekend, a cutting-edge arts venue in Shoreditch in East London. This multi-dimensional festival, exploring the politics, languages and literature of the region through music, spoken word, visual arts and literary performance is Britain's first major event celebrating the rich and varied cultures of the South Asian region, through the world of literature.
The opening weekend highlights included a moving and illuminating discussion about the Kashmiri conflict, a beguiling musical performance by acclaimed writer Amit Chaudhuri, a fascinating journey to South Asia with Hardeep Singh Kohli, Geoff Dyer and BBC broadcaster George Alagaiah and a highly topical debate on the literary differences between India and Pakitsan featuring Commonwealth writer's prize winner Mohammed Hanif - together capturing the diversity and richness of South Asian literary culture in one of London's most atmospheric performance spaces.
Kicking-off with Power of the Pen: A Resolution for Kashmir on Friday night, audiences were treated to an in-depth analysis of one of the most pervading and divisive issues of the region with experts Justine Hardy and Victoria Schofield and BBC journalist and novelist Mirza Waheed. Schofield argued that argued that Pakistan’s weakened position presents a prime opportunity to India to reach a resolution, while the resounding sentiment of the night was to give Kashmiris their own voice and complete autonomy.
As the Kashmiri debate continued off-stage, the official festival launch party got underway with festival co-directors Jon Slack and Bhavit Mehta, participating authors, the festival sponsors DSC Limited and festival attendees indulging in delicious South Asian nibbles. An exhibition specially divised for the festival on the 'History of Asians in Britain' and curated by the British Library in association with the Open University, was also on show at the launch.
Amit Chaudhuri showcased his new album 'Found Music' and its unique mix of raga, jazz, blues and disco on Saturday night, while the award-winning writer wowed the festival audience with riffs on his musical and literary journey between songs.
In this afternoon's lively and engaging session Journey to South Asia: Lands, Language and Imagination, chair George Alagiah asked whether 'India can fire the imagination more than anywhere else?' Author Geoff Dyer commented 'India can be a frustrating place but it is never boring' and commenting further on the people of the region, George Alagiah said he was never in any doubt that the Commonwealth Games would go ahead 'the Indians are possessed of a can-do attitude and a pragmatism - just like the Americans.'
Also this afternoon and to commemorate the new Pakistan Granta issue, its editor John Freeman asked authors Farrukh Dhondy and Mohammed Hanif if there are comparisons between the literary talent that surface in India in the 1990s and that which is now emerging from Pakistan. India and Pakistan: Literary Worlds Apart? may not be the case at all but Dhondy and Hanif unanimously agreed that there is 'good and bad literature' in the diaspora as well as in their native India and Pakistan.
Stimulating discussion, lively debate, wonderful story-telling and the magic of South Asian culture have been the tenor of the opening weekend at the first DSC South Asian Literature Festival. The festival continues at an eclectic list of venues around the capital until 25 October and then around the UK from 26-31 October. Award-winning TV historian Michael Wood takes to the stage with Nikki Bedi at the British Library tomorrow night [18th October] and on Tuesday the festival locates to the Free Word Centre in Farringdon for some thought-provoking events programmed in association with Index on Censorship and English PEN: Words Without Borders: Literature in a Time of Conflict and From Fatwa to Jihad: The Culture of Offence in Britain.
More information here.
