RESULTS: GRANTS-IN-AID

Grants-in-Aid for Unpublished manuscripts:

The following submissions have been adjudged the best:

1. "Thodi si Jagah" by Yojana Yojna Rawat (Hi. Poetry)
2. "Main Ulajh gaya hoon" by Sandeep Bhatia Sarasdeep (Hi. Poetry)
3. Ai Hansa" by Dr. Gargi (Hi. Novel)
4. "Kyariyan" by Geeta Devi  (Hi. Children's Lit)
5. "Kudi Maar" by Narinder Pal Singh (Pbi. play)
6. "Bolda But" by Sukhvinder Singh Mann (Pbi. Poetry)

Congratulations to the winners who will get a subsidy for publication once the book is published.

11 January 2014

Chandigarh Sahitya Akademi Jubilations in January

It was a fully packed day for the Chandigarh Sahitya Akademi. A full day chock-a-bloc with motley activities, academic, creative, literary and artistic. No frills and fancies, no tamasha, no pomp and show. Simply Sahitya. That seemed to be the slogan of the day. And sahitya was presented in its various manifestations, beginning with an academic lecture that wove into its fabric the art of story-telling, folk tales, the Panchatantra, and much more. This was followed by an interlude of poetry recitation, and then a face-to-face with another celebrated writer and a free-lance artist and film-maker.

The speakers of the day were all well-known in their fields: Manorama Jafa, Bulbul Sharma, and Sagari Chhabra. The poets of the day were Sonnet Mandal a very young writer from Kolkata, Vinod Bhalla from Jalandhar, and SL Dhawan from Chandigarh. While Mandal is an engineer by profession, he is passionately devoted to writing and has received awards from various organizations. He read some of his poems and spoke of the inspiration behind his work. Vinod Bhalla is again a man with a science background who pens poetry. Passing through the city he too participated into day’s event and read poetry that has a powerful social message. SL Dhawan ‘Kamal’ is one of the rare city poets who can sing his verses and he regaled the audience with his shayari.

The main speaker of the day, Manorama Jafa, has perhaps contributed the most to the field of children’s literature in India. She is the author of nearly 100 children’s books, and over 600 stories, articles and research papers on children’s literature. Some of her books have also been published in Japan, Singapore, Holland and Italy. For almost four decades she has been directing Writers’ Workshops on writing, for different age groups and for children with special needs, in English and Hindi, in New Delhi and several other cities in India. Her passion for her work and her exceptional contribution has brought her several awards at the nationa

l and international level. She spoke at length on children’s literature and her own contribution to it, winding up with a discussion of the immortal nitishastra, the Panchatantra. If you wish to write good stories for children you need to go back to your childhood, she advised budding writers.

Anjana Sharma, who writes as Bulbul Sharma, is a journalist, artist and writer who has been publishing for almost three decades. She also works as an art teacher for children with special needs. She has authored several novels, three collections of short stories, tales of Fabled Beasts, Gods and Demons, and retold the Ramayana for children. In an active interaction with Prof Madhu Malik from Bucknell University (USA), with whom she is now engaged in a translation project, she read a short story from her recent collection On Turning Fifty. The story, which revolved around a subject as unusual as a dressing gown, grabbed the attention of the audience with its subtle blend of humour, wit, nostalgia and compassion.

Sagari Chhabra is a writer, film-director and social activist who writes poetry, short stories, film scripts, plays and no-fiction. She has scripted and directed fifteen documentary films and one fiction film, winning national and international awards. Her work includes; ‘Global Warming’ (on climate change), ‘Now I Will Speak’ (on violence against women), ‘Tatva’ – a fiction film about a woman in search for her identity in contemporary India, ‘Hunger In The Time Of Plenty’ (starvation deaths at the time of food surplus). Sagari is responsible for creating the region’s first multi-media archive of surviving freedom fighters. After she read excerpts from her published works, there was a screening of her latest documentary, “Asli Azadi” which comprises interviews with women who were involved in the freedom struggle. The screening was followed by an animated discussion with the audience.

This was the first CSA event of the year. The Chairperson announced that on February 8-10 the CSA will organize its Fourth Festival of Letters. Award-winning writers are being invited for the event. Competitions will also be held in the coming weeks at the school, college and university level, leading up to a grand finale on 10^th February 2014. Information will be posted on the CSA blog and on Facebook.

Photographs of today’s event are being posted on the Facebook page

Manju Jaidka

Chairperson, CSA

JANUARY JUBILATIONS

USHERING IN THE NEW YEAR

Chandigarh Sahitya Akademi invites you to

JUBILATIONS IN JANUARY
interactive sessions / poetry reading / film talk and more
with our invited speakers

on 11 JANUARY 2014
10.45 AM to 5.00 PM [refreshments will be served in between sessions]

Venue: UT Guest House
Sector 6
Chandigarh

Join us, please!

OUR SPEAKERS INCLUDE:
Manorama Jafa, author and critic, expert on Children's Literature
Sonnet Mandal, award-winning young poet
Bulbul Sharma, poet and novelist
Sagari Chhabra, freelance writer, artist and film-maker

Abhivyakti and Expressions

Chandigarh Sahitya Akademi (CSA) has made quite a niche in the City Beautiful with its regularly held literary events, book-readings, interactions with writers, and poetry sessions. 

“The pull

Of an old scar…

Another winter”

and

“Stars adrift…

The loved ones who left

One by one.” (Both verses recited by Arvinder Kaur)

Today the CSA held a two-tiered session at the UT Guest. The morning session, Abhivyakti, showcased creative writers in Hindi, Punjabi and Urdu while the post-lunch session focused on writers who have made a name in the English language. All the writers belong to the city and have been quietly engaged in their creative pursuits.

Punita Bawa is a novelist and poet who recently brought out her book “Neeljal ki Sonemachhlian”. She is also trained in music and highly accomplished orator and speaker with a mellifluous voice, much in demand as a compere and host at local events. This morning she recited some poems from her latest collection. Her poetry has a strong feminist streak evident in the themes which revolve around the rights of women and the discriminatory attitude of our society towards the fairer sex. 

Rajwanti Mann, Deputy Director in Haryana Archives, is a researcher and poet. She acquired proficiency in Urdu and now writes in the language. She has recently published her debut collection of poems with the title “Babool ki Chhaanv”.  Coversational in tone, her poetry reaches out to the reader with its directness and sincerity.

Arvinder Kaur teaches in the local Govt. College. She has been writing poetry in Punjabi and in English and can deftly handle long poems as well as short haikus. This morning she spoke of Haikus, giving an introduction to the genre as it originated in Japan.  Arvinder has adapted the Japanese form to local taste and her first book of Punjabi haikus, “Nimolian,” was published earlier this year.

Manjit Tiwana has been writing poetry for the last fifty years and is a well-known name in Punjabi literature. In fact popular opinion rates her close to Amrita Pritam; she is now a leading voice in Punjabi poetry. Although something of a recluse who has spent time away from the local literary scene, she opened up today with the audience and enthusiastically read some of her poems.  In her opinion, kavita is “sanjeevani booti” that keeps her going. Highly symbolic, her themes are personal, dwelling on family relationships, loss, pain and grief.  

Presiding over the morning session was Brajendra Tripathi, well-known editor, critic and poet from the national Sahitya Akaademi, who has represented India at many forums, national as well as international. He complimented the CSA on organizing multi-lingual literary events and was particularly pleased with the response of the audience to the poetic renderings of the day. Tripathi read some of his own poems which touched upon several emotional issues, raising questions like “What is home?” Is home something abstract  or concrete? How does one define home? Is it an institution? Whatever it may be, home is a concept that cannot be defined; its meaning is not found in dictionaries and encyclopedias.

In the post-lunch session there were three more writers of the tricity and the session was chaired by Nirupama Dutt. 

Neelkamal Puri teaches in Govt. College for Girls, Sector 11. A very popular teacher, she is also into creative writing and has the distinction of being one of the leading Chandigarh residents capable of using the English language with ease and felicity. Her first book was Patiala Quartet, a city where she spent many years and to which she is emotionally attached. Her second novel, Remember to Forget, is set in Ludhiana, the city where she was born. In Puri’s novels the city is not simply a place but a character that has a major role to play in the story. She spoke at length about the beliefs underlying her writing and read excerpts from both her books. The audience was particularly moved by her passages on the infamous practice of female infanticide prevalent in the Punjab.

Rajbir Deswal is a cop-poet. A senior IPS officer, his love for literature is well-known and he is often in the news for the poetry he has published.  He writes in English and also in Hindi and Urdu (in Devnagari script). This afternoon he discusses his themes and read his poems before an interested audience. His Urdu poetry, in particularly, was greatly appreciated. From an earlier collection, “My Own Khajurahu,” he recited some pieces, explaining the nuances of the symbols used. A poem with the title “His Master’s Choice” was appreciated for its wit and subtlety.

Anuradha Bhattacharya is a young upcoming poet who has published two slim collections of poems. She teaches in Govt. College and has a passion for English. The poems she read this afternoon spoke of experiences that have touched her life. There is a certain innocence about her work, a freshness that speaks of her talent and holds promise for the future.

Nirupama Dutt, editor, critic and poet, who writes with fluency in English as well as Punjabi, presided over the session, concluding with a couple of poems recited before a highly appreciative e audience.  She had a word of praise for the speakers and for the platform that CSA provides to the burgeoning literary talent of the city.

Thanking the audience, Manju Jaidka, Chairperson of CSA, announced that the next CSA event would be held on 11^th January and then on 8-9 February 2014. Announcements will be made over Facebook and Blog. Photographs of today’s event will be posted on these sites.

CSA

CSA at the Book fair on 17th Nov

CSA at the Book fair on 17th Nov.

The main hall at the Chandigarh Book Fair was once again the hub of literary activity which commenced early in the morning and continued all day. Most of the activities were hosted by the Chandigarh Sahitya Akademi, beginning with book launches and author interactions.

It seems as though the residents of Chandigarh are becoming more and more creative day by day, judging from the number of books being published in the city. There are established writers coming up with new titles and also emerging new voices joining the literary chorus.

Pam Handa, who has moved to Chandigarh recently, launched her book of poems in English: "Kismet and Karma".  Subhash Sharma has translated Madhav Kaushik's Hindi poems into Punjabi and published them as "Parat aao Paarth".  Anant Sharma has published Hindi poems under title "Kabhi Khatam nahi hoti Kavita."  These titles, among others were released at the Book Fair this morning. Charandeep Singh and Ekum Manuk brought out their debut books. The Ahmadiya Society came up with a book on world peace.

The special guest of the day, poet and journalist Parminderjeet Singh released all these titles and then engaged the audience in a discussion of poetry, reciting some of his moving poems to an appreciative gathering. It was indeed another busy day of the CSA but everyone in the packed hall seemed to enjoy the sessions.

In the evening there was an interactive session with the very young and successful writer Sachin Garg who belongs to the rapidly burgeoning tribe of talented MBA graduates who combine their literary talent with marketing strategies. Sachin has published several bestsellers till date and is now a full-time writer. Engaged in a lively conversation with Meenu Gupta, he talked about the ideas that trigger his imagination, the need to be disciplined in one's writing habits, as also his passion for travelling and his love for people. 

Sachin came across as a very amiable young man with starry dreams in his eyes and a confidence to see his dreams turn into reality. Chandigarh Sahitya Akademi wishes him luck in his future enterprises.

The evening session marked the last of CSA events at the Book Fair. The Valedictory function will be held tomorrow and then it will be curtains on the event that has caused a giant ripple in this City Beautiful!

Thank you, UT Administration & NBT, for providing this delightful treat to all book lovers!

Photographs taken today are being posted on CSA Facebook.

November 16 at the Book Fair

At the Book Fair today the Chandigarh Sahitya Akademi was busy indeed, first with book launches, then with an author-interaction, and finally with a kavi sammelan.

Among the local authors whose books were launched was a fifteen year old girl from Bhavan Vidyalaya. Ishita Aggarwal has penned a novel entitled Lieability in which the main protagonist is a  high school girl from the eighth class who has the uncanny ability to detect lies! Ishita spoke about her book and her love for writing and her talk was much appreciated particularly by the youngsters in the audience.

A Banker who Writes:

Ravi Subramaniam hails from the south but he considers himself a punjabi. "I am a Punjoo at heart," he says, "having lived in Ludhiana for 17 of his formative years.

An IIM Bangalore graduate who became a best-selling author with his If God Was a Banker, Ravi is serious about his creative writing although he says he will never give up his regular job for the sake of novels. His inside information of the banking system, gathered over almost two decades of his career, gave him the raw material for his books. Although he is steeped in non-literary subjects like banking and economy, he uses his background as a framework against which he builds his stories.

Ravi writes thrillers which sell like hot cakes because they portray men and women who are not super-human beings but ordinary creatures that his readers can identify with. 

His latest book is Bankerupt, again on similar lines and Ravi is happy with its sales.

Not only did Ravi talk about his novels, he also spoke of the art of writing, the techniques he follows, and the need for pushing the sales of a book. Writing, he feels, is the easiest part of being a novelist. The major challenge lies in pushing the sales and many a good book suffers because it is not marketed properly.

The audience appreciated the author's candid talk and his account of the discipline and regularity he had to practice in order to produce his novels.  Of particular interest to all was the fact that Ravi Subramaniam's father was also a writer and his daughter had published her first novel last year at the age of thirteen. So much for the literary leanings in the family!

The grand finale of the evening was a Kavi Sammelan in which several poets participated, reciting their poems in Hindi and in Punjabi. Among those who recited their poems were Laaj Pushp, Kumar Vinod, Gyan P Vivek, Virendra Madhur, Dr Mukta, Sharanjit Kaur, and Janak Raj. 

Tomorrow the Chandigarh Sahitya Akademi will hold book launches and author interactions in the morning. In the evening there ill be a discussion with writers Nitika Singh and Sachin Garg.

Stories from the Kitchen

Day 3 at the Book Fair

So this was Tara Deshpande, the lady with the dimpled cheek and the winsome smile, with a bagful of stories gathered from the kitchen space. Stories with the flavour of cinnamon and pepper, and cloves and garlic.

At the Chandigarh Book Fair this evening the star attraction was Tara Deshpande who opened for the Chandigarh audience a totally new take on literature.  Whereas the Chandigarh Sahitya Akademi has encouraged its speakers to explore the various dimensions of literature and its multifarious connections with diverse fields like music and art and painting and cinema, this evening a totally novel perspective was unravelled before the packed hall at the Book Fair: cuisine and creativity!

Tara Deshpande has donned many hats in her career: as a stage artist, as an actress, writer, former model and MTV VJ. She has appeared in several acclaimed films such as Sudhir Mishra's Is Raat Ki Subah Nahin and Kaizad Gustad's Bombay Boys. She played Begum Sumroo in Alyque Padamsee's play of the same name. Since her marriage to an American citizen and moved to Boston in 2001, she has shuttled betweeen Bombay and Boston where she has been running a catering agency. Her husband, a graduate of Harvard Business School, is in finance. Tara published her first book, Fifty and Done (Harper Collins) at the age of 23. Her latest book A Sense for Spice: Recipes and Stories from a Konkan Kitchen (Westland Publishers 2012) has become a best seller.

In an animated conversation with CSA Chairperson, Manju Jaidka, Tara explored the relationship between food on the one hand and folk-lore, myth, history and culture, she spoke at length on how cuisine can be a bridge of understanding between peoples and how food and literature are inextricably intertwined.

A fascinating talk indeed, on a subject the is of interest to one and all, it was attended by a number of dignitaries and their wives. Mrs Ninette Sharma, wife of the Adviser to the Administrator, was present in the audience and felicitated the speaker.