Central News Hub

Category: Arts & Culture

  • V.J James’s three novels to be published by Penguin

    V.J James’s three novels to be published by Penguin

    “Nireeswaran” is the most celebrated of James’ works, for which he received the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award, Vayalar Award, Kerala Bhasha Institute Award and the Basheer Puruskaram…reports Asian Lite News.

    Penguin Random House India said on Saturday it has acquired three new titles by critically acclaimed Malayalam writer V.J. James, to be translated into English by Ministhy S. and with the first of the novels coming out in February, 2022.

    More recently, the richest and one of the most distinguished awards for literary fiction, the JCB Prize for Literature, longlisted James’ novel “Anti-Clock”, also translated by Ministhy and published by Penguin.

    “Nireeswaran” is the most celebrated of James’ works, for which he received the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award, Vayalar Award, Kerala Bhasha Institute Award and the Basheer Puruskaram.

    Originally published in 2014, the novel questions blind faith and ritualistic religion and provides an insight into what true spirituality is. Three rationalists, and pranksters, establish the idol of what they call an anti-god (Nireeswaran) to show people how hollow their religion is. When miracles start being attributed to Nireeswaran, and hordes turn up to worship the fake god, the trio is put in a quandary. Will they fight their own creation? Using incisive humour and satire, the novel showcases how love and spirituality are deeply interconnected.

    “The Book of Exodus” is James’ impressive first novel, which won the DC Silver Jubilee Award. Kunjootty is hospitalized the same day that Susanna goes missing. There is a mystery surrounding this which unravels during the course of the novel. Filled with folklore and myths, set amidst the waterways and reeds of Kerala’s isles, and peopled with locals and outsiders with mysterious pasts, the novel has an ethereal quality to it.

    The third book is a powerhouse of a novel.

    Mahesh and his four friends – each named after a Pandava brother – and Panchali, or Meera, decide to look for their friend, guide, leader Freddie Robert, whom they had named Yudhisthira. Freddie had disappeared into the forest several months ago, in search of a rare new bird. Thus begins “Dattapaharam”, a rumination on solitude, man’s connection with nature, and the strings that attach us to this world.

    Talking about his three novels, V.J. James said: “It is my pleasure to publish three more novels after ‘Anti-Clock’ through Penguin Random House India, brilliantly translated by Ministhy S. There is a saying that each book will find its true reader. I hope that these books, too, will find their readers.”

    Saying she considered it a “true privilege’ to work with a “brilliant, visionary” author, Ministhy S., an IAS officer of the Uttar Pradesh cadre, added: “Translating the fantastic, multiple-award winning books of James has been a wonderful experience. Each has a totally different theme and is striking in its ambition and style. Indeed, I am confident that the incisive humour, deep spirituality, iconoclastic perspectives and the all-pervasive humanity in the books will find fans across the world.”

    ALSO READ-‘A Passage North’ in the final six of Booker shortlist

    READ MORE-Penguin to publish Amitav Gosh’s ‘The Nutmeg’s Curse’

  • ‘A Passage North’ in the final six of Booker shortlist

    ‘A Passage North’ in the final six of Booker shortlist

    “A Passage North” begins with a message from out of the blue: a telephone call informing the protagonist, Krishan, that his grandmother’s caretaker, Rani, has died under unexpected circumstances – found at the bottom of a well in her village in the north, her neck broken by the fall…reports Asian Lite News.

    Sri Lankan author Anuk Arudpragasam’s novel “A Passage North” (Penguin India) that transports the reader from Colombo to the war-torn Northern Province and lays bare the imprints of an islands past and the unattainable distances between who we are and what we seek, has moved to the shortlist for The Booker Prize 2021.

    It’s a searing novel of longing, loss and the legacy of war, from the author of “The Story of a Brief Marriage”.

    “A Passage North” begins with a message from out of the blue: a telephone call informing the protagonist, Krishan, that his grandmother’s caretaker, Rani, has died under unexpected circumstances – found at the bottom of a well in her village in the north, her neck broken by the fall.

    The news arrives on the heels of an email from Anjum, an impassioned yet aloof activist Krishnan fell in love with years before while living in Delhi, stirring old memories and desires from a world he left behind.

    As Krishan makes the long journey by train from Colombo into the devastated Northern Province for Rani’s funeral, so begins an astonishing passage into the innermost reaches of a country.

    At once a powerful meditation on absence and longing, as well as an unsparing account of the legacy of Sri Lanka’s 30-year civil war, this procession to a pyre “at the end of the earth” lays bare the imprints of an island’s past and the unattainable distances between who we are and what we seek.

    Written with precision and grace, the masterful novel is an attempt to come to terms with life in the wake of devastation, and a poignant memorial for those lost and those still alive.

    Anuk Arudpragasam was born in Colombo and moved to the United States at the age of 18, where he attended Stanford and Columbia Universities. His first novel, “The Story of a Brief Marriage”, was translated into six languages, won the DSC Prize for South Asian Literature and was shortlisted for the Dylan Thomas Prize. He currently divides his time between Sri Lanka and India.

    ALSO READ-Five books for your summer reading list

    READ MORE–UAE’s Golden Jubilee launched at Al Ain Book Fair

  • UAE’s Golden Jubilee launched at Al Ain Book Fair

    UAE’s Golden Jubilee launched at Al Ain Book Fair

    The initiative also seeks to focus on certain specialties and modern science to which the UAE makes significant contributions globally…reports Asian Lite News

    Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre (ALC) has launched a special new initiative to provide 50 grants for Emirati publishers to support them publishing or translating 50 books in 2022 – the UAE’s Year of the 50th.

    The Bridges to Publishing in the Year of the 50th initiative was announced at the 12th edition of the Al Ain Book Fair (AABF), which is currently taking place at Zayed Central Library until 30 September, and forms part of ALC’s contribution to the celebrations for the UAE’s Golden Jubilee year.

    Golden Jubilee Grant Initiative 2

    The grants are aimed at enriching local libraries with diverse and distinguished publications, in line with the major trends that have underpinned the UAE’s development in the last 50 years. The initiative also seeks to focus on certain specialties and modern science to which the UAE makes significant contributions globally. In addition to promoting the publishing and translating of books, including audible and electronic, in the UAE,  the Bridges to Publishing in the Year of the 50th  initiative will also extend professional and financial support to local publishing houses.

    HE DR. ALI BIN TAMIM, CHAIRMAN, ALC: “From the heart of Al Ain Book Fair, we are celebrating Emirati cultural heritage over the past 50 years, with the Bridges to Publishing in the Year of the 50th initiative launched to highlight the UAE’s major future trends in the fields of future studies, space science, and renewable energy. It also reflects the continuous efforts of Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre to support local publishing houses.”

    The Bridges to Publishing in the Year of the 50th initiative is the outcome of merging the ‘Spotlight on Rights’ and ‘Jusoor or Bridges’ programmes, which were launched in 2009 and 2010. The integration of these two programmes aims to strengthen Arabic content across all segments of society, through translations of books into Arabic or by transforming publications into readable and audible e-books.

    ALSO READ: ‘UAE steadfast in its march towards sustainable recovery’

    Mouza Al Shamsi, Acting Executive Director of ALC, said: “After the selection of 300 books to be supported as part of the ‘Spotlight on Rights’ programme, it is now our pleasure to launch this initiative as a platform to support local publishing houses. It will provide grants for books  and translations that focus on the UAE’s strategies and vital projects, in addition to establishing bridges that will enrich Arabic content across the local and Arab publishing world.”

    The Bridges to Publishing in the Year of the 50th initiative covers three segments: writing, research and studies; translations; and readable and audible e-books. In the first segment, ALC will work with local publishing houses on specialised studies and research that highlights the UAE’s experience and foundations of success. In the second, future studies’ translations will be published, with priority given to the studies that discuss the UAE as a model of research, analysis, and comparison. The third segment includes transforming the dedicated-for-youth books in various categories into readable and audible e-books.

    Through this new initiative, ALC aims to promote intellectual rights in the Arab world, support local and Arab publishers, enrich Arabic content, and foster the Centre’s strategic goals of reviving the Arabic language, and pioneer its position in cultural and creative fields.

  • Media House Shortlisted For Prestigious PR Award

    Media House Shortlisted For Prestigious PR Award

    London-based Media House has become the go-to agency for mainstream brands keen to tap South Asian and diverse audiences across multiple international territories including the UK, USA, Canada, UAE, Australia, New Zealand and Singapore

    London’s leading diversity media and brand communications agency Media House has been shortlisted for the Diversity & Inclusion Excellence Award at the coveted PR Week Awards 2021. Winners will be announced at the award ceremony taking place on Wednesday 20th October at the Grosvenor House Hotel, Park Lane.

    The PR Week Awards is the most prominent, industry sector award ceremony to recognise the achievements of the leading, PR and Marketing agencies and their contribution to the global media and communications landscape. Media House has been shortlisted for its unparalleled commitment to ensuring diversity representation and inclusion in the global mainstream, while conversely delivering successful diversity strategies for mainstream brands and organisations.

    Media House Directors Arika Murtza and Tony Gill

    London-based Media House has become the go-to agency for mainstream brands keen to tap South Asian and diverse audiences across multiple international territories including the UK, USA, Canada, UAE, Australia, New Zealand and Singapore. Additionally, they have established themselves as industry leaders in providing consultancy and strategy for global brands to ensure campaigns are duly inclusive of diverse audiences.

    Progressive and dynamic in their campaigns, Media House is now globally recognised as a best practice agency that delivers new innovations in diverse celebrity and influencer marketing; digital and social media; PR and Media Relations; and events to deliver visionary client campaigns that engage diverse audiences.

    Media House has also established itself as the leading agency to champion and increase the visibility of South Asian and diverse clients across the global mainstream, while also servicing ethnic and diaspora audiences across international territories. Their work in diversity representation is reflected by their intersectional team, comprising a new generation of industry talent from publicists and brand marketeers to the network of influencers and creatives that they work with from campaign to campaign. The agency promotes and celebrates diversity and inclusion through the work that it does as well as ensuring it is integrated as a key principle in their recruitment process, recognising the valuable contribution each of its team members makes that collectively demonstrate a diversity of talent from respective life backgrounds and experiences.

    Media House’s agency sector specialisms include the film and entertainment; celebrity and influencer; arts and culture; music and live event; charity; corporate; fashion; and lifestyle sectors.

    “Diversity must always be encouraged and celebrated,” said Arika Murtza, Director, Media House. “The existence of differences in ethnicity, culture, religion and a variety of other factors has a role in the way we perceive the world as well as feel in the workplace. The practice of ensuring that people with these differences experience a sense of connection and encouragement from media as well as at Media House has always remained at the centre of what we do, working to always alleviate prejudices and promote unity in the media as well as in the workplace. Diversity and inclusion are the grounds of the world we like to see and be in.”

    Tony Gill, director, Media House, added: “From the heart of the Media House team, to be recognised by the benchmark award ceremony in our industry sector, the PR Week Awards, is such a huge honour and achievement for us, reaffirming, encouraging and inspiring us to continue doing what we’re doing and celebrating diversity representation and inclusion in the global mainstream, led by our beautifully diverse and talented team. Thank you, PR Week Awards, for recognising our work and its importance in industry and beyond.”

  • Indra Nooyi unveils her story of exemplary resilience and leadership

    Indra Nooyi unveils her story of exemplary resilience and leadership

    “Barack Obama and Manmohan Singh had entered the room for an update on our group’s progress, and President Obama began introducing the American team to his Indian counterpart. When he got to me, Prime Minister Singh exclaimed, ‘Oh! But she is one of us!’…reports Asian Lite News.

    For a dozen years as one of the worlds most admired CEOs, Indra Nooyi, redefined what it means to be an exceptional leader. To the extent that when she once pitched a revolutionary strategy to introduce healthy products, she was asked if she was Mother Teresa!

    Her prescient strategic thinking, insight into consumer behaviour, and wisdom on managing a vast, global workforce make her one of the world’s most sought-after advisors to entrepreneurs, executives, and governments. The first woman of color and immigrant to run a Fortune 50 company — and one of the foremost strategic thinkers of our time – she transformed PepsiCo with a unique vision, a vigorous pursuit of excellence, and a deep sense of purpose.

    Her memoir, “My Life in Full: Work, Family, and Our Future” (Hachette India), offers a first-hand view of Nooyi’s legendary career – a story of exemplary resilience, courage, and leadership. Generous, authoritative, and grounded in lived experience, the book delivers a blueprint for 21st century prosperity, peppered with masterful insights.

    For instance: “I believe that a company’s impact on society needs to be written through all business planning, and that this cannot be an afterthought. What’s good for commerce and what’s good for society have to go together.” The rewards were fulsome.

    “One foggy Tuesday in November 2009,” Nooyi writes in the book, “after hours of meetings in Washington, DC, with two dozen top US and Indian business executives, I found myself standing between the president of the United States and the prime Minister of India.

    “Barack Obama and Manmohan Singh had entered the room for an update on our group’s progress, and President Obama began introducing the American team to his Indian counterpart. When he got to me, Prime Minister Singh exclaimed, ‘Oh! But she is one of us!’

    “And the President, with a big smile and without missing a beat, responded, ‘Ah, but she is one of us too!’

    “It’s a moment I never forget — spontaneous kindness from the leaders of the two great countries that have given me so much. I am still the girl who grew up in a close family in Madras, in the South of India, and I am deeply connected to the lessons and culture of my youth. I am also the woman who arrived in the US at age twenty-three to study and work and, somehow rose to lead an iconic company, a journey that I believe is possible only in America. I belong to both worlds,” Nooyi writes.

    When Nooyi took over as CEO of PepsiCo, one of her pivotal – and controversial — ideas was to steer the company toward healthier products, reinvent its environmental profile and lead the company into a future where they championed ‘Performance with Purpose’.

    The strategy met with immense backlash from some shareholders who wouldn’t stand for anything that affected the company’s short-term profitability targets.

    In the book, Nooyi narrates a particular conversation in the face of tremendous resistance: “The most memorable comment came from a portfolio manager in Boston — ‘Who do you think you are?’ he asked me. ‘Mother Teresa?’ “

    Nooyi went on to lead PepsiCo for more than two decades. She has been consistently ranked in Forbes’s ‘The World’s 100 Most Powerful Women’, Fortune’s ‘Most Powerful Women’ and was twice named on TIME magazine’s list of the ‘100 Most Influential People in the World’. She has held a unique role among the world’s top executives, often as the only senior woman in the halls of global corporate power.

    In this no-holds-barred narrative, Nooyi recounts the events that shaped her, from her childhood and early education in 1960s India, to the Yale School of Management, to her rise as a corporate leader. The book lays bare her distinctive leadership style, learnings from her far-reaching career, that inspire generational diversity and inclusivity.

    With a stunning cover shot by legendary photographer Annie Leibovitz, the Hachette India edition of the book comes with an epilogue written especially for the Indian audience.

    “As India emerges from the devastating impact of Covid-19, the country must rethink some of its economic priorities under the umbrella of Atmanirbhar Bharat. I hope whole new ecosystems around next-generation industries emerge, and new investments in core infrastructure, including roads, the railways, water and sanitation, and healthcare. I also hope to see more predictable framework in support of foreign direct investment, and a massive commitment to improving education for all — from kindergarten to grade 12 and beyond — so that the country has all the talent in place to realise its terrific ambitions.

    “While this goes on, I also believe it’s time to unleash the superb capabilities and ingenuity of women across the country, in every strata of society. Corporations, governments and NGOs working in the country must come together on this, And, most importantly, men and women must join forces to create a more inclusive, more productive, more caring nation. Only then will India be truly on the road to sustainable prosperity,” Nooyi concludes.

    This truly is a blueprint from a woman who has been there, seen it and done it all!

    ALSO READ-Obama Posts Farewell Letter on Facebook

    READ MORE-Of sting operations, Obama’s mind, and demons of fictional lands

  • Saudha celebrates centenary of Eliot’s ‘The Waste Land’ and Kazi Nazrul’s ‘The Rebel’

    Saudha celebrates centenary of Eliot’s ‘The Waste Land’ and Kazi Nazrul’s ‘The Rebel’

    A touring production is celebrating the centenary of two important masterpieces of the 20th century – ‘Bidrohi’ (The Rebel) by the Bengali poet Kazi Nazrul Islam and ‘The Waste Land’ by T.S. Eliot, writes Prof. Geetha Upadhyaya

    Prof. Geetha Upadhyaya

    Saudha Society of Poetry and Indian Music, a top-notch Indian classical and global music promoter in the UK, has produced this unique event which is being launched at Seven arts centre, Leeds on Saturday 2 October at 6pm.

    Directed by the poet T M Ahmed Kaysher, the production combines acting, live music, theatrical reciting from the ‘Waste land’ and ‘Bidrohi’ and staging of Eliot’s interview with Professor Shiv K Kumar. “Eliot’s interpretation of Indology and especially his beautiful interpretation of Gita, will be a part of the production, too.” says Ahmed,

    The event will also include “rare and relevant” speeches by Kai Nazrul Islam along with reading from both poems by leading spoken-word artists from across the country such as Becky Cherriman, poet Miles Salter, spoken-word artist Jon Erik Schelander, poet and fictionist Shree Ganguly and spoken-word artists Milly Beas Basu Kaniz Fatema Chowdhury, Mohammed Sadif Ehsan Ahmad Raj, Abhra Bhowmick and a prominent academic and poet Oz Hardwick will give a brief talk on the background, aesthetics and legacy of these two literary masterpieces.

    The Waste Land

    The performance by Poet John Farndon as T S Eliot, Manash Chowdhury as Kazi Nazrul Islam and Shantanu Goswami as Prof Shiv K Kumar adds a new dimension to the event with an award-winning photographer Pablo Khaled interpreting the work visually.

    Ahmed Kaysher, the director says “this is a symbolic merging of two rich poetic traditions of the world where Eliot uttered the meditative Indian Mantra ‘Shantih Shantih Shantih’ and Kazi Nazrul Islam, almost inflamed with anti-colonial, anti- sectarian verses were in fact portraying the same decayed waste-land in different ways perhaps.”

    The production is touring to Rich Mix theatre in London on 14 November and many other theatre venues around the country in months after. 

    The event is supported by the Leeds Inspired grant of Leeds City Council.

    The ticket link for the event:

    https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-saudha-centenary-celebration-of-the-waste-land-bidrohi-tickets-165561383555

  • Activist’s ‘Organic Theatre’ to promote natural farming in Kerala

    Activist’s ‘Organic Theatre’ to promote natural farming in Kerala

    He said that the idea of Organic Theatre is brushing up tradition and folk culture that has been part of the culture of Kerala but has been forgotten for years…reports Arun Lakshman.

    A theatre activist and former producer of a popular Malayalam TV channel is promoting a concept of organic farming and the rich culture associated with it through theatre, zeroing in on a supernatural being named “Kadampan Moothan” spoken about in rural areas and inspiring farmers.

    Sudheer has named his mission “Organic Theatre”. Talking on how he launched such a project, Sudheer said: “We are eating food but never bother to produce what we eat and then complain that the food we eat is laced with pesticides. Nothing productive will come out of this and I wanted to change this and promote the concept of organic farming among the people, especially the youngsters, and formed Wide Inspiration, Wide Aspiration (WIWA).”

    He said that the idea of Organic Theatre is brushing up tradition and folk culture that has been part of the culture of Kerala but has been forgotten for years.

    While researching on indigenous and organic farming practiced by several communities, he got to know about “Kadampan Moothan”, who, according to villagers and farmers, was a supernatural entity whose role was to protect the farmers, inspire them in times of hardships and reversal, and also to give encouragement and persistence to farmers from being burnt out due to despair.

    This inspired Sudheer who created a character, of the same name, who travels from village to village to promote organic farming with his beautiful song and makes farmers aware of their talents and their willpower.

    “Kadampan Moothan renders songs on the never say die attitude of the farmer who does everything to commence farming on a land that was immersed in floods. He also sings about the hard work being put up in growing a crop and on the determination of a farmer,” he said.

    To popularise Organic Theatre, “Kadampan Moothan” is dressed in an interesting costume of natural products, mask, and headgear made of straw, and has now become the mascot.

    Sudheer knocked several doors to promote organic farming using Organic Theatre but disappointment was the result initially. Since 2013, he has been relentlessly trying for this project and in 2014, received the support of the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD). He, along with a team of his WIWA, took 2 acres of land at Vellarada, on the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border, and inspired people to take up Organic farming and promote the culture associated with the farming.

    Organic Theatre and farming are now synonymous with Sudheer and he is now travelling to various areas of the state to take classes on the rich culture associated with the place where they live and how organic farming is to be done.

    “Kadampan Moothan” has become popular among the people of the state, thanks to the hard work and drive of Sudheer whose main idea is folklore and culture of the area and how the cultivation of crops is being inspired by this.

    ALSO READ-India committed to developing Africa’s agriculture sector, says Muraleedharan

    READ MORE-‘Indo-Dutch cooperation in health, water and agriculture are priority areas’

  • Pandemic impact on women artists

    Pandemic impact on women artists

    I know women bore a disproportionate share of the burden during the pandemic. But I cannot comment on how that affected their practice…artist Santosh Jain interacts with Siddhi Jain.

    In the modern era, women are exploring their talents and exposing them to the outer world without any inhibition. The pandemic has transformed the art landscape in India, driving art exhibitions to the digital medium and an influx of pandemic-inspired themes on the canvas.

    How has the art landscape in India changed from 2019 to now? Is there a specific impact of the pandemic on women artists? Four Indian female artists assess its tangible impacts on the art world.

    Santosh Jain

    Viewing of art on digital platforms gained almost sudden popularity after 2019. Indian artists took to social media to share their works, form artist groups and even tag peers in art challenges. It was as if the artist community had come together; this was inspiring. One could see works of artists one hadn’t come across earlier, and virtual interactions helped support each other during the lockdown. But the ease of posting and over one year of just digitally viewing art also led to ‘art fatigue’ and a dilution in quality! Art galleries and museums have reopened in the last 2 months. And even though there are strict guidelines on admissions, timings, etc., it feels great to see art lovers step out to experience art.

    I know women bore a disproportionate share of the burden during the pandemic. But I cannot comment on how that affected their practice. Instead, I can speak about myself and how the pandemic impacted me as a woman artist.

    The pandemic affected me quite badly. I felt pressed down with so much dread around… updates on tv, ambulance sirens, eerie silence and WhatsApp messages bearing sad news. Fear and uncertainty haunted me day and night. My art helped me express my inner concerns and come to terms with the new ‘normal’. I created works across mediums almost daily – Multi Media works, Digital Paintings and even Linocuts in 2020 -21. For The Lockdown Series, I experimented with art material’ that was available at home — bills from home deliveries, kitchen foil, laundry strips, coffee, old cards, etc., My colour palette turned gloomy during the second wave. I also explored the concept of ‘shadows’ in The Languish Series. I feel no one stays with us forever except our shadow. In good times, in bad times and even in death.

    Sonali Chaudhari

    The years 2019 to 2021 have seen significant changes in each and every sphere. The Covid-19 pandemic has had lasting implications on every level of society. Art forms of any period are a reflection of that era. Needless to say, much of the art created during these years will remind us of these difficult times for generations to come. Furthermore, locked in the confines of their homes, people have become more conscious of the impact of art in their lives. Instead of being something elitist, art also has a vital role in stress relief and mental health. More and more online exhibitions made art easily accessible to all people. As an artist, I have seen many people approach me for art that they can identify with and uplift them. During the prolonged lockdowns, my studio was my sanctuary. It gave me much time for self-reflection and exploring various facets of my work in ways that are impossible without complete solitude.

    The pandemic has affected every single person and has had an impact on women artists too. However, as in all cases, the level of that impact varies from person to person, based on their socio-economic background. So one cannot generalise in this case. We have all been through the same storm but in different boats.

    Seema Kohli

    Post the pandemic, art became much more accessible and easier to procure. People had the time to virtually explore art. Most established art galleries already had online presence. The pandemic allowed them to gear up the virtual experience with enhanced technology such as online viewing rooms, artist talks and so on. I think, in spite of the fact that the pandemic had lot of lows, there was room for people to sort of alter their lives and move into different spaces online.

    I see myself as an artist first and then as a women artist! On the whole, the impact on the artist community was more of an emotional set back, despite having all the time to themselves to create art. Most of us felt that it was time when we could introspect, sit-down, experiment and work a lot more than otherwise. I think there was no social compulsion which also made it easier for us all to work in our own space and embark on our own journey.

    Brinda Miller

    I wouldn’t say that the current art landscape has been a reason for artists to make time for introspection and I find a lot of artists posting their best work on social media, especially women artists. I have spent a fair amount of time dabbling in different art experiments. More for my enjoyment and pleasure rather than thinking about the future of art in terms of a career. The shift has been fairly satisfying. The works are brighter than ever as times maybe uncertain and grim. I have always been inspired by my travel but now I am looking at other things. Looking inwards rather than outwards. Being creative can have the best results for women …. be it in their kitchen or it could be pursuing online courses.

    Art is a form of meditation. Colour is therapy! I try to lead a normal life and keep myself busy. I miss a few things like meeting people and travelling but there are other things to keep me going. I have recently begun travelling again -I was in Ladakh last week where the landscape was spectacular, and hope to travel to new places. The rainy weather outside my window is awesome and Mumbai as a city inspires me a lot as do the people of Mumbai who go on with their lives and deal with every issue and survive so well.

    ALSO READ-‘Lokame Tharavadu’ a shot in the arm for artists

    READ MORE-Street artists must respect locals

  • JLF London brings fresh ideas in a virtual jamboree

    JLF London brings fresh ideas in a virtual jamboree

    ‘JLF London at the British Library’ had a very successful curtain-raiser in June. With 2020 struck by the cloud of a global pandemic, the Festival was postponed from its customary summer dates…reports Asian Lite News.

    As the world works through a new “normal” this year, Teamwork Arts, the producer of the iconic Jaipur Literature Festival, and the British Library, bring to you a virtual edition of the annual JLF London, with the magnificent piazza of the British Library replaced by the boundless possibilities of the internet.

    Everything else remains the same – the magic of discourse, the caravan of ideas, the camaraderie of people, and the seamless flow of knowledge.

    ‘JLF London at the British Library’ had a very successful curtain-raiser in June. With 2020 struck by the cloud of a global pandemic, the Festival was postponed from its customary summer dates.

    The much-awaited JLF London at the British Library now opens virtually tomorrow with a stellar list of leading speakers from across the globe engaging in intellectual and literary discourse. Scheduled from 24th-26th September 2021, the eighth edition of the annual Festival will explore an array of topics relevant to the contemporary world, maintaining the magnitude of programming as every year.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ymGyox8aP4

    In the inaugural session, the audience will be addressed by Festival Co-directors Namita Gokhale and William Dalrymple, Festival Producer Sanjoy K. Roy, and Head of Culture and Learning, British Library, Jamie Andrews.

    JLF London will be in an entirely new avatar this year with a mix of special on-ground and virtual sessions. The rich programming includes some of the most sought-after speakers, including Asma Khan, Cat Jarman, Edmund Richardson, Elif Shafak, Makarand R. Paranjape, Rory Stewart, Saad Mohseni, Swapan Dasgupta, Tahmima Anam, Vir Sanghvi and many more, sharing their stories and ideas.”, Sanjoy K. Roy, Managing Director, Teamwork Arts, and Festival Producer said.

    Namita Gokhale, award-winning author, publisher and Festival Co-director shared, “JLF returns to the British Library in a hybrid format. The rich diversity of our programming will as ever open windows to many worlds. This year marks the 75th anniversary of the Republic of India, and this reflects in our themes and sessions, as we celebrate books, ideas and dialogue.”

    https://twitter.com/JaipurBookMark/status/1441009209068249091

    “JLF London is by far the most wonderful and eagerly anticipated literary festival. In these times, it’s a celebration of life and resurgence of the human spirit overcoming the adversities and traumas of the past two years! The spirit of the Festival in its hybrid form is fabulously innovative and makes authors and lovers of literature believe and hope in the future. It makes our hearts rise with sheer joy and happiness. JLF London is a symbol of hope!” said Moin Mir, who will be speaking at the Festival.

    JLF London at the British Library, an annual celebration of books, creativity, dialogue and diversity, brings South Asia’s unique multilingual literary heritage to life in the heart of London. This year, the Festival will be hosted on an exclusive virtual platform. To register for the sessions, please click here.

    ALSO READ-JLF to Focus on Empowering The Youth

    READ MORE-Nobel Laureate Venki addresses JLF

  • Utopian vision of an innocent world

    Utopian vision of an innocent world

    Being an Army Wife residing away from urban areas, often in the wilderness with horses, mules, and pets as the company she developed a Zen for the rural landscapes and animals…reports Siddhi Jain.

    Art is a ‘thapasya’ for people with an insight of creativity. Even though her association with art continued throughout her life, it is only now that the 79-year-old artist Todo Paintal is exhibiting her first solo show at a Delhi-based art gallery. Born in 1942, and married to an armoured corps officer-a war veteran who has fought the 65′ and 71′ wars, she turned to painting as a hobby and cathartic release.

    Being an Army Wife residing away from urban areas, often in the wilderness with horses, mules, and pets as the company she developed a Zen for the rural landscapes and animals. Her recent explorations of Himalayan landscapes produce an utopian vision of an innocent world that is a refuge from the pressures of the city, free from noise, crowds, pollution, and in tune with natural processes.

    Having spent her childhood in Dalhousie and a larger part of her life in far-flung army cantonments, she celebrates the experience of solitude and spiritual refreshment afforded by pastoral retreats in idyllic portraits of contented self-sufficiency. These portable mementos representing visual experiences share with us the wonderful energy of her artistic engagement, great fascination, and love for the mountains.

    Being widely travelled, this is a theme she returns to frequently along with her emotional dialogue with her family — an unabashed ode to the pleasures and joys of a fulfilled life. She celebrates the radiant beauty of the natural landscapes and beautifully communicates the spirit of the place with a distillation of the tranquility it embodies in the people closest to her.

    Paintal trained briefly at the Triveni Kala Sangam and later apprenticed with veteran artist Anjolie Ela Menon, as well as enjoying a brief stint at Arpana Caur’s Academy of Fine Arts, New Delhi. After a grueling Montessori training she ran her own Montessori kindergarten school for nearly three and a half decades. On her retirement and at the age of 75, she returned to her artistic passion with a diploma in Fine Arts at the Delhi Collage of Art, under the mentorship of Ashwani Kumar Prithviwasi who helped her crystalize her signature vocabulary. She is currently pursuing her fourth year of advanced studies.

    ALSO READ-Anuradha Roy’s ‘The Earthspinner’ out

    READ MORE-Traditional art forms on exhibition