Call for Unpublished Manuscripts

The CSA invites city-based writers (working or residing in Chandigarh) to submit unpublished book-length manuscripts of short stories, poetry, plays and novels in Hindi, English, Punjabi or Urdu. Some funding is available for Grants-in-aid and the best entries would be given financial assistance for publication. Entries may be submitted at the Chd Sahitya Akademi office on the 1st floor of the State Library, Sector 34. Deadline for submission is June 30, 2012. Length of manuscripts: Novels / short stories: 30,000 words to 60,000 words Poetry: 70 - 90 pages Plays: 30 - 50 pages (printed / typed)

ANNUAL ROUND-UP MAY 2012

Thank you for your encouragement and support. We hope that those of you who attended the event enjoyed the get-together and the talk delivered by our visitor from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Ana Mauad, Prof of Visual History. For the information of those who could not attend, today's event was a great success. The turnout was was sizable and the enthusiasm of the audience was evident. Shri Pawan Bansal, Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, presided over the Annual Round-Up and released a brochure showcasing all the year-long activities of the CSA. Shri KK Sharma, Adviser, was present right through the program. His mingled with the audience and showed a genuine concern for the activities of the Akademi. Shri Diwan Manna, Chairman, Lalit Kala Akademi, chaired the Prof Mauad's talk on "A Common Concern: the Photographs of Genevieve Naylor and Sabastiao Salgado". Hers was a powerpoint presentation that explored the connection between two celebrated photographers a generation apart from each other; she highlighted the manner in which they bonded with the region, and their compassion for the common mass of humanity. Commenting on the presentation, Manna placed the subject in the Indian context, drawing a connection with well-known names like Rahgu Rai and others. Chairperson of the Akademi, Prof Manju Jaidka, made a powerpoint presentation, highlighting the activities of the CSA over the last one year. These have been listed, along with relevant photographs, in the brochure that was released today. Shri Pawan Bansal released recently published books awarded Grants-in-Aid by the CSA. The award winners, namely Manoj Tiwari, Surendra Kumar, Rajendra Kumar Kanaujia, Sanjiv Suri Sahil, Sant Ram, Hema Sharma, and Renu Bahl, were felicitated by the minister and also by the adviser. Overall, it was an an exceptionally successful event that brought together a cross-section of Chandigarh residents, the old and the young, interested in books, reading and writing. Shr Pawan Bansal appreciated the efforts of the Akademi and felt that more needs to be done on a bigger scale, bringing the people back to the precincts of the library, re-creating the romance of the printed book and the love for story-telling. He promised to extend all possible help to the CSA towards asset-building. Unlike many dignitaries who are always pressed for time, the chief guests of today seemed relaxed and unhurried. Even after the event they mingled with the crowds, thus endearing themselves to one and all. So, friends, thank you for being with us. And those who were not with us, we missed you, we sure did. We have some more events in the pipeline, but let the scorching summer heat beat its retreat. Wee will, hopefully, meet again when the clouds begin to rumble over the lower Shivaliks, when the peacocks begin to dance in the Morni Hills, and when harbingers of the long-awaited rains bring an end to more mundane woes, to water and power outages, and the rest. Until then, Ciao, Ciao, folks! Namastey, Sat-sri-akal. Always yours, we remain the CSA Pictures of todays events will soon be online. Checkout our FB and Blog and stay tuned.

Dickens and More

Chandigarh Sahitya Akademi a 3-tiered session on 6 May 2012 at the UT Guest House. The speakers of the day were Profs Susan Morgan and Eric Goodman, visiting briefly from the US, and Vivek Atray, well-known writer and bureaucrat from Chandigarh. Susan Morgan, who is a Distinguished Professor of English at Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, has published widely and traveled around the globe on academic visits. During the course of her travels she grew fascinated with the story of the brilliant Anna Leonowens who has been immortalized in the You Brynner film “The King and I”. Probing deep into available resources, Morgan discovered new information on Anna that has eluded researchers for years. These findings were published in her book entitled “Bombay Anna”. In her talk today, Prof Morgan went into details of Anna’s life and adventures across the globe, from UK to India, Australia, Thailand, America and Canada. Her stint as the governess of the children of the King of Siam has been recorded in “Anna and the King” which became an iconic film, the main source of information on Siam and its people. Anna Leonowens traveled all over the world, witnessed some of the most fascinating events of the Age of Empire, and became a well-known travel writer, journalist, teacher, and lecturer. Eric Goodman, professor of creative writing and novelist, discussed the importance of place and the challenges of writing about race and the unspoken and sometimes unsavory secrets of our hearts. His fifth novel, “Twelfth and Race” – from which he read excerpts – speaks of the story of a mixed race couple, Richard Gordon and LaTisha Nelson, set against the backdrop of race riots in a fictional Midwestern metropolis, Calhoun City, Missouri. The novel, published in early March has been receiving very enthusiastic reviews. Goodman’s work has been awarded three Ohio Arts Council fellowships and residencies at the Headland Center for the Arts, the Ragdale Foundation and MacDowell. Vivek Atray, author of the recent novel “Move on Bunny,” made a powerpoint presentation highlighting the life and achievements of Charles Dickens who was born 200 years ago and continues to be a great favorite among readers of all ages and times. The presentation was very well-received and members of the audience showed their keenness to share their own experience of the Dickens’ magic. Chairperson of the CSA, Manju Jaidka, announced that the day’s event was a part of the annual Summer Bonanza that the Akademi organizes in the month of May. The second part of the bonanza will take place on 27th of May which will also present the annual round-up for 2011-2012. Today’s event was greatly appreciated by a hall packed to its fullest capacity by an enthusiastic audience. The general consensus was that the CSA has succeeded in making a difference to the cultural and intellectual life of the city. Link for pics:https://picasaweb.google.com/105464712099114161998/SusanEricDickens