Dear Friends,
Seasons Greetings! Since our last newsletter, Zubaan released three books – Organizing Empire: Individualism, Collective Agency and India by Purnima Bose; Specters of Mother India: The Global Restructuring of an Empire by Mrinalini Sinha and Locked Homes, Empty Schools: The Impact of Distress Seasonal Migration by Smita and a Foreward by Amartya Sen.
After a gap of few months, our regular series of informal conversations with women writers – Words of Women returns at Casurina, 7pm, 12th Dec, India Habitat Centre, Lodi Road, New Delhi. This month, we inaugurate a special version – “Words of Women: First Show”. The intention is to provide a platform to hear the voices, and read the words of the next generation of talented women writers. Wewill be showcasing three young women – poets, fiction and non-fiction writers – who are at the beginning of their writing careers. It seems to us that there is a sea-change in writing by a new generation of Indian women: young women who are experimenting with different forms, genres, styles and subjects with a confidence and sense of entitlement that reflects a very modern sensibility. This month’s panel consists of Madhulika Liddle, Mitali Saran and Monica Modi who will be in conversation with writer, critic and blogger – Nilanjana Roy. Started in 2003, Words of Women has so far featured Mahashweta Devi, Indira Goswami, Githa Hariharan, Mridula Garg, Manjula Padmanabhan, Mrinal Pande, Mitra Phukan, Kamila Shamsie, Kunzang Choden, Bulbul Sharma, Manju Dalmia, C.S. Lakshmi (Ambai), Namita Gokhale, Paro Anand, Shauna Singh Baldwin, Shobhaa De, Arupa Kalita Patangia, Anita Nair and Baby Halder and we hope to include many more other women writers in the months to come.
To update you on the exhibition – Poster Women, a visual mapping of the women’s movement in India. It has been on a road show in India. Last month it was exhibited at the Karnataka Chitrakala Parishad, Bangalore (8-14th November, 2006). After which it traveled to Chennai. It is currently on at the Lalit Kala Akademi, Chennai and will be on till the 17th of Dec 2006. Our local collaborators are IWID. A version of this exhibition is currently on at Zurich as well.
Some other announcements:
a) IAWRT Asian Women Festival 2007 – call for entries. Submission date – 26 Dec 2006.
The IAWRT Asian Women Festival 2007 titled “Reflections: Women Imaging Realities”, 7-8th March 2007 has made a call for film entries. The aim of the festival is to open up a space for creative debates. Recognizing the critical need for a forum that can sustain the form of documentary as well as women’s contribution to this unique form, the festival will showcase documentary films created by women, covering a range of genres and expressive styles. It will present films that explore and reflect on how women filmmakers negotiate, resist or document political, social, cultural, environmental, educational or economic issues. Are they creating a new language of filmmaking, which reflects, explores a news aesthetic and politics of filmmaking? How are women widening the frame for issues concerning women? These can be some of the central questions in the festival coupled with panel discussions and/or a seminar. IIC Asia-project and IAWRT will use this forum to curate a special session dedicated to short films across genres of animation, fiction and documentary film. The IAWRT/IIC Asian Women’s Festival was shown in Kolkata, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Chennai and Calicut.
IAWRT is a non-profit professional organization of women working in electronic and allied media. The IAWRT is a non-government organization (NGO), in consultative status with United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). IAWRT collaborates with media organizations and organizes conferences, projects and activities. The last date for submission is 26th Dec 2006. For further enquiries and forms for the festival please write to Ms. Jai Chandiram at iawrtindia@gmail.com and fict@fict.com.
b) CREA film festival: Sexuality and the Cinematic Imagination, 7-10 March 2007, Neemrana Hotels. Last date for accepting forms is 15 Dec 2006. For more information: filmsofdesire@creaworld.org and www.creaworld.org
c) Ravi Dayal and Penguin Books India released two posthumous collections of one of India’s finest prose stylists, Shama Futehally (1952-2004). Edited by Githa Hariharan these are Frontiers:Collected Stories and The Rights Word Selected Essays, 1967-2004.
Meanwhile, we hope you have received the Zubaan Diary 2007 announcement. The theme is Mother India, celebrating 50 years of a Bollywood Classic which was also the first Bollywood film to be nominated for an Oscar. Finally, Zubaan is pleased to announce that you may buy your books online now. We finally accept credit card payments on our website www.zubaanbooks.com
With warm wishes,
JAYA BHATTACHARJI
Zubaan, An imprint of Kali for Women
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New Delhi – 110016, INDIA
Tel: +91-11-26521008, 26864497 and 26514772
E-mail: contact@zubaanbooks.com
Website: www.zubaanbooks.com