Program

Damon Galgut is a master of the knot, the stubborn rope which chafes and binds people to places, politics, prophets, the past. The Promise, sharp, meditative and shortlisted for the Booker Prize, conveys the play of power in relationships - with self, society, state - against the backdrop of post-apartheid South Africa. A white family, nettled by changing society, wrangles over a farm and a delayed promise. As South Africa churns with a violent past, turbulent politics, and the rubbles of change, Galgut weaves the stories and struggles of relationships from both. His other works include A Sinless Season, The Good Doctor, and Arctic Summer.. In conversation with Akash Kapur, Galgut discusses his writing style, process, inspirations, and the essence of his latest work

Our knowledge and information of the Aztec empire, their history and their conquest, for generations has been informed by the western pen. Author and historian Camilla Townsend’s Cundill History Prize-winning Fifth Sun: A New History of the Aztecs brings to light a complex and riveting history of the Aztecs based entirely on direct translations of the annals written in the neglected Nahuatl language. Townsend is the Distinguished Professor of History at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey. Her other books include Annals of Native America: How the Nahuas of Colonial Mexico Kept Their History Alive. In conversation with University of New Hampshire history professor and writer Eliga Gould, she explores the precarious survival and brutal conquest of the people of the sun and their journey of endurance.

Author, journalist, and Wasauksing First Nation member, Waubgeshig Rice's novel, Moon of the Crusted Snow, is a post apocalyptic churning of action, allegory, and human resilience. Masterfully blending together the Anishinaabe language into dialogue with an ode to the natural world, the narrative observes the structural collapse of a community cut off and left to fend for itself. The tale follows their journey as they turn to their Anishinaabe tradition and culture in hopes of reviving their land, people and sense of self. An Apache/Chickasaw/Cherokee, Erika T. Wurth is the author of an upcoming literary-horror/speculative novel, Whitehorse, published by Flatiron/Macmillan. Wurth is a narrative artist for Meow Wolf and has written for Buzzfeed and The Kenyon Review. Together in conversation with Maeve Conran, Rice and Wurth examine the complexities of the indigenous experience and explore the many nuances of hope, desire and identity.

A powerful session weaving together the personal and the political. Academic and writer Charmaine Craig's novel, Miss Burma, vividly intertwines the fate of a country and a family not only by war and revolution but also by desire and loss. Writer Thirii Myo Kyaw Myint's memoir, Names for Light: A Family History, traverses through oral narratives, official, and mythical histories of Myanmar, and binds together three generations of a family and the impact of post colonial violence and racism. In conversation with writer and journalist Anindita Ghose, author of The Illuminated and former features director of Vogue India, they take us on an evocative journey through time, memory and the search for legacy.

Matt Bell’s book, Appleseed, weaves together myth, science fiction, and climate change. It is a meditation on America’s settler-colonial folklore and humankind's perilous relationship of exploitation with planet earth. Bringing together characters spread across time and space, Bell’s narrative chillingly brings forth fractured ecological stewardship and raises challenging questions on corporate, civic, and familial responsibility. In conversation with Laird Hunt, he takes a deep dive into this complex universe which gives us a terrifying glimpse into our future.

A session focused on the severity of navigating and depicting Afghanistan’s conflicted lands as women. Award-winning foreign correspondent and writer Christina Lamb’s Our Bodies, Their Battlefield: What War Does to Women provides harrowing, first-hand accounts of women’s experiences in war zones. She is joined by journalists Shazia Haya Ahmadzai and Taran N. Khan. Ahmadzai's last piece before escaping Kabul addresses the rights and future of Afghan women; Khan’s acclaimed portrait of proscribed spaces, Shadow City: A Woman Walks Kabul, is kindred to author and filmmaker Sanaz Fotouhi’s latest, Love Marriage in Kabul: A Memoir, which details the challenges in making the namesake documentary. In conversation with Pragya Tiwari, pioneering voices in the discourse surrounding Afghanistan explore the process of covering the region as women.

The lines which separate science from sentiment, living memory from the written word, and parent from progeny are as adamant as the convictions of those who align with either of ‘opposite’ camps. Writer and academic Madhur Anand redefines lines as threads in This Red Line Goes Straight to Your Heart; threads which enhance the understanding of opposites and reveal their curious closeness. In conversation with writer Malashri Lal, Anand discusses her memoir of halves, an exceptional blend of science, history and poetry, and the value of an interdisciplinary approach to writing.

A session on the torrid history and future of the Middle East. Gideon Levy has covered the Israeli-occupation of West Bank and Gaza Strip for three decades, harrowing accounts of which he collates in The Punishment of Gaza. He joins lawyer Raja Shehadeh, founder of Al-Haq and author of Where the Line Is Drawn: A Tale of Crossings, Friendships, and Fifty Years of Occupation in Israel-Palestine. In conversation with BBC investigative journalist, Manisha Ganguly, prominent voices of the Middle Eastern conflict discuss the region’s trajectory.

Writer Alka Joshi’s latest work, The Secret Keeper of Jaipur, second in the Jaipur trilogy, takes forward the stories of the iconic characters from her bestselling novel, The Henna Artist. Rooted deeply in Rajasthan’s remarkable history and varied traditions, the narrative explores the underbelly of Jaipur city and gives us a gritty look into nuances of class, identity, and deceit. In conversation with Arsen Kashkashian, Joshi takes us on an evocative journey through Lakshmi’s life as she explores the process of giving voice to the silenced.

In 1972, a team of scientists from MIT used a computer model to come out with The Limits of Growth report, which predicted the collapse of the world by 2040. Juxtaposing factors such as population, industrial output, fertility rates, pollution levels, and food production, the report suggested that our continued exploitation of earth's resources and rapid industrial growth will lead to a catastrophic outcome. As the world locked down with Covid-19, it demonstrated how just a few months led to rapid regeneration across the planet. Does this perhaps mean that it is not too late to retrace our steps and begin anew? With the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference approaching, a session that evaluates the steps ahead and necessary short term sacrifices that must be taken for the sake of our overall salvation.

A session examining the complex nuances of immigrant identity, across the markers of race and culture to explore the intangibles of home. Rajiv Mohabir’s hybrid memoir, Antiman, navigates the fraugh constellations of sexuality, race, and cultural heritage that have created the foundation of his Indo-Guyanese immigrant identity. K-Ming Chang’s lyrical novel, Bestiary, explores three generations of Taiwanese-American women who carry the myths of their homeland within themselves. Samra Zafar’s memoir, A Good Wife: Escaping the Life I Never Chose, follows her journey of escaping an abusive marriage and quest to find herself and pursue her dreams as a culturally isolated immigrant in Canada. Together they explore the geographies and multilayered legacies that have formed their lives and quest for home.

Acclaimed author and historian Vincent Brown's groundbreaking geopolitical thriller Tacky′s Revolt: The Story of an Atlantic Slave War takes on the Atlantic slave trade with a subversive and powerful reconstruction of the history of insurgency, rebellion, victory, and defeat. With a keen emphasis on the seminal uprising that upended the dominant imperial rule of the British Atlantic world, eventually becoming known as the Tacky’s Revolt and ultimately leading the way for abolition, the book explores the contentious climate of oppression and slavery, offering an alternative perspective of the events that occurred, with an unflinching look at the brutal and inhumane methods of oppression and the resilience of those that resisted. In conversation with academic and writer Sujit Sivasundaram, he unpacks the complex narratives binding the conflicting histories of Europe, Africa and America, offering illuminating insights into the condition of terror and war, proving more relevant than ever in the era of BLM and socio-political sifting change and raising the ever pertinent question, who gets to write the story?

The past year has not only witnessed the most devastating health crisis in recent human history but has also led to a sudden surge in an ‘infodemic’. Fake news and conspiracy theories have always had a way of nurturing biases, however, the fear unleashed on the world with the pandemic has created fertile ground for the spread of misinformation. Is social media at fault for this development or is this a mere consequence of the platform? Have people truly become more gullible or has the world we live in made it easier to believe in toxic myths? Academic and writer Homi K. Bhabha speaks to Sanjoy K. Roy about this new era of excessive information and the reasons behind its compelling nature.

Celebrated writer, jurist, and former President of the Bar Association of India, Fali S. Nariman is the author of God Save the Hon'ble Supreme Court, The State of the Nation, and his recent Constitution of India, among others. He takes us on a reflective journey through the layers, complexities, and nuances of the document that marked the arrival of the world’s largest democracy. One of the world’s longest and most important political texts, The Constitution was adopted by the Republic of India on 26th January 1950, laying the framework of governance, fundamental rights and civil responsibility that have formed the very roots of India. Introduced by writer and historian Tripurdaman Singh, Fali S. Nariman speaks of his life experience in law and the Indian Constitution.

Sculptor, artist, and academic Anna Tsouhlarakis, member of the Navajo Nation and also of Greek descent, redefines the boundaries of communication and perception while challenging the aesthetic and conceptual expectations of Native American art. Her artistic practice, embedded in dialogue and the use of unexpected vehicles of expression, helps untangle stereotypes around Native American art and reshapes the world it occupies. Director of Ojas Art, Anubhav Nath's work revolves around curating illuminating parallels between traditional tribal art within contemporary times, thereby creating a space for them to express their cultural and hereditary roots. In conversation with Sanjoy K. Roy, they discuss the crucial ways in which their work and artistic practice acts as a reservoir and representation of complex histories and identities.

A session that examines the multitude of identities, be it ethnic or gendered, that add to the rich diversity of the literary universe.

Usha Akella’s latest poetry book is I will not bear you sons. She is the founder of Matwaala, a website of curated interviews. Academic and writer Manuel Muñoz’s work includes What You See In the Dark, Zigzagger and The Faith Healer of Olive Avenue. His next collection is, The Consequences. Artist, activist, and educator Suzi Q. Smith’s poetry collections include Poems for the End of the World and A Gospel of Bones. Academic and writer Aruni Kashyap’s books include His Father’s Disease: Stories, and the novels: The House With a Thousand Stories, Noikhon Etia Duroit and the recent poetry collection, The is No Good Time for Bad News.