building support for South Asian and diasporic writing

Kriti 2005 Schedule (full details)

 Unless otherwise specified, all events will take place at Northwestern University's downtown Law School campus, 357 E. Chicago Avenue.

    Thursday, November 10, 2005

    7:00 - 9:00 p.m.

  • Opening Reception

    Eat, drink, and be welcomed! Including authors Nilofer Ahsan, Anita Chandwaney, Abha Dawesar, Sapna Gupta, Minal Hajratwala, Anil Menon, Mary Anne Mohanraj, Shailja Patel, Ligy Pullapally, Bushra Rehman, Sanjay Shah, Pireeni Sundaralingam, and Sachin Waikar, among others.

    Location: Roosevelt University, Auditorium Building, 430 S. Michigan, Rm 244. Open only to those holding an all-weekend pass and to Roosevelt University students and staff; refreshments will be served.

    Friday, November 11, 2005

    2:00 - 2:50

  • Contemporary South Asian Literature in the World
    How does South Asian writing shape the way in which South Asians are regarded by the world? Does it facilitate the stereotyping of individuals? Does it open up new concepts to readers? Are local South Asian and diaspora writers perceived differently by international readers? Are they different in any meaningful way?
    Ranjan Adiga, Summi Kaipa, Anil Menon, Pireeni Sundaralingam, Arin Reeves (mod.)

    3:00 - 3:50

  • Recommended Children's Literature
    Writers and editors discuss what writers they love to read, and what makes a story stand out as exceptional children's literature.
    Monika Jain, Rukhsana Khan, Uma Krishnaswami, Pooja Makhijani

  • Queer Issues in South Asian Literature
    Authors and readers consider the role of GLBT characters and queer issues in South Asian literature, and discuss these stories' reception in the South Asian community.
    Abha Dawesar, Shailja Patel, Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha, Ligy Pullappally

    4:00 - 4:50

  • Writing Culturally-Specific Stories
    When you write about a culture, do you feel a responsibility to accurately represent the community? What are your concerns? What do you do to help you in that process?
    Ranjan Adiga, Minal Hajratwala, Rukhsana Khan, Uma Krishnaswami

  • Gender and South Asian Literature
    Why aren't there more men writing creatively? Are men's concerns different from women's? Do South Asian men write about different sorts of topics (large-scale political and historical stories) than South Asian women (arranged marriage, family and individual duty, personal freedom, cooking?) Do men and women write differently? Do you prefer to read literature by men or women, and if so, why?
    Anil Menon, Sanjay Shah, Sachin Waikar, Mary Anne Mohanraj, Venu Gupta (mod.)

    4:30 - 7:00

  • Mistress of Spices
    Vermilion restaurant and DesiLit host acclaimed author Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni for an intimate evening of unparalleled food, drink, and conversation. Chitra is an award-winning author and poet and her writing centers around the immigrant experience, an important theme in today's world. Her novel The Mistress of Spices centers around a magical spice shop in Oakaland, CA, and is currently being turned into a movie (by Gurinder Chadha, producer of Bend it Like Beckham and Bride and Prejudice). Her book, Arranged Marriage, a collection of short stories, won the American Book Award and the Pen Award for fiction, while her recent novel Sister of My Heart is a national bestseller. Converse with Chitra over cocktails and tapas and enjoy an exclusive four-course dinner over a book reading and discussion.

    4:30 - 5:30 p.m. cocktails / cash bar, 5:30 - 7 p.m. tapas and dinner $55, very limited seating, tickets sold separately. Vermilion Restaurant, 10 W. Hubbard St. Tickets for the event may be purchased through the DesiLit website by PayPal or check, or directly from Vermilion with your credit card (312-527-4060)

    5:00 - 5:50

  • The Business of Writing: Children's Literature
    Writers and editors review the paths to writing children's lit., suggesting markets and ways to improve your writing.
    Monika Jain, Rukhsana Khan, Uma Krishnaswami, Pooja Makhijani, Sangheeta Mehta

  • Building a Better Future
    Currently, Science fiction (and perhaps modern fiction in general) treats the future in dystopic terms. We don't react violently to the claim that the past has an influence on our writing. But what about the expected future? Are there obligations to building a better future just as there are obligations to accurate portrayals of the past?
    Anil Menon, Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha, Sanjay Shah, Venu Gupta (mod.)

    7:00 - 7:30

  • Mango Tribe
    An Asian/Pacific Islander American (APIA) women's interdisciplinary performance group founded on the belief that collective creation can be the most powerful form of art. Featuring Kay Barrett, Lani T. Montreal, Marian Yalini Thambynayagam, Sarwat Rumi, and Sharmili Majmudar

    7:30 - 9:00

  • Divakaruni Reading and Q&A
    Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni reads from her newest book, Queen of Dreams. Divakaruni is the award-winning author of The Mistress of Spices (slated to be released as a feature film in 2006, starring Aishwarya Rai), Sister of My Heart, Vine of Desire, Queen of Dreams, Neela: Victory Song, The Conch Bearer, and others.

    9:00 - 10:00

  • Open Mic
    Hosted by Lakshmi Rengarajan and Bushra Rehman.

    9:00 - 9:30

  • Bhangra Dance Lessons
    Taught by Sadaf Ahmad.

    9:30 - Midnight

  • Open bhangra dance!

    Saturday, November 12, 2005

    9:00 - 12:00

  • Writing Workshop

    10:00 - 11:20

  • Who Is Your Community? Who Are You Writing For?
    "South Asians aren't your target audience." If nine out of ten people reading your novel will be white, do you care? Editors and agents review marketing and demographic concerns when publishing South Asian and diaspora literature, while writers consider the questions: What voice are you trying to portray? Who is your desired audience? Who do you feel your community of writers is? Do you worry about questions of identity and authenticity? Do you write about white people? Black people? What generation are you writing for?
    Mary Anne Mohanraj, Meera Nair, Rashena Wilson, Summi Kaipa, Bushra Rehman

  • Is Poetry Accessible Today?
    Poets discuss the different modes of poetry, and their audiences. Spoken word vs. poetry on the page -- is the former less academic, less intellectual? More exciting because of the performative aspect? Is it all the same? Why do we turn to poetry?
    Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha, Shailja Patel, Ravi Shankar, Pireeni Sundaralingam

  • Picture Books
    What are the specific challenges to writing a picture book? How do you tackle child-sized themes for the youngest readers? How do you effectively convey a story in brief text? How can your words invite and not stifle potential illustration? Whether you're a writer or an artist or both, find out more about this evolving art form in which the story is mediated by its physical container.
    Monika Jain, Rukhsana Khan, Uma Krishnaswami, Pooja Makhijani, Sangeeta Mehta

    11:30 - 12:00

  • Reading: Summi Kaipa

  • Reading: Neela Banerjee

    12:00 - 1:00

  • Keynote Speech
    Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni speaks on the current state of South Asian diaspora literature, of which she has been a forerunner and major figure. As the South Asian diaspora becomes more visible across the American landscape, who are the established and emerging figures in its literary scene, and what place does their work hold in the broader literary world?

    1:00 - 2:00

  • Chitra Divakaruni Signing

  • Reading: Meera Nair and Ravi Shankar

  • Reading: Bushra Rehman and Sapna Gupta

  • Filmmaker Q&A
    Filmmaker Ligy J. Pullappally, writer and director of the multiple award-winning feature film, The Journey, leads a discussion on independent feature-filmmaking. Using The Journey as a case study, this discussion forum will take you through the creative process, to securing film distribution. Excerpts of The Journey will be shown.

    2:00 - 2:30

  • Reading: Shauna Singh Baldwin

  • Q&A with Literary Agent Anna Ghosh
    Ghosh answers every question you've ever had about literary agents -- or as many as she can fit in half an hour. An informal discussion.

    2:30 - 3:50

  • How Do I Become a Writer?
    Panelists offer their own experiences and discuss the path they took to calling themselves writers.
    Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, Anna Ghosh, Pooja Makhijani, Meera Nair, Pireeni Sundaralingam

  • Politics and Writing: The Panel
    Writers discuss their goals in writing about politics. [Is any writing not political?] Are they attempting to create change in the world? What changes would they like to see? What have been the visible effects of their work, if any? Should writers be political on a large-scale? What are the inherent dangers of that work?
    Nilofer Ahsan, Shauna Singh Baldwin, Sapna Gupta, Shailja Patel, Clinton Seely

  • The Business of Writing: Poetry
    Poets discuss how/if one can make a living as a poet.
    Summi Kaipa, Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha, Bushra Rehman, Ravi Shankar, Marian Yalini Thambynayagam

  • Storytelling: Rukhsana Khan

    4:00 - 5:20

  • Memoir Writing
    To what extent are we willing to expose ourselves? Do we have the right to expose the lives of our family and friends? Is the need to tell a true story, to be honest, more important than the need to consider the feelings of others? And what happens when you're not sure you're remembering the story right to begin with? Writers discuss the challenges of memoir writing and offer advice to those interested in writing their own memoirs.
    Minal Hajratwala, Pooja Makhijani, Mary Anne Mohanra, Bushra Rehmanj

  • Politics and Writing: A Discussion
    A facilitated open discussion of the ways in which writers can engage political issues in their work, and the ways in which readers can respond to those issues.
    Facilitated by representatives from SAPAC (South Asian Progressive Action Collective)

  • Page to Stage
    Is the distinction between 'spoken' and 'written' word relevant any longer, given the growing numbers of writers on the performance circuit? How do we take work from the page to live performance? What are the pitfalls and richnesses of staging our work? Are there different audiences for books vs. performance? Why perform rather than publish, or vice versa?
    Shailja Patel, Ligy Pullappally, Ravi Shankar, Pireeni Sundaralingam, Marian Yalini Thambynayagam

  • Storytelling: Uma Krishnaswami

    4:00 - 6:00

    Screening of The Journey, followed by brief Q&A with the director, Ligy Pullappally. In The Journey, Kiran is mortified by her growing lesbian desire for Delilah, in an idyllic South Indian community where arranged marriage is the only acceptable form of coupling. Screening made possible courtesy of Wolfe Releasing. Malayalam with English subtitles.

    5:30 - 6:00

  • The Sri Lankan Women's Project
    Marian Yalini Thambyanyagam, Varuni Tiruchelvam, and Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha collaborate in poetry, dance, and music, to tell the untold stories of Sri Lankan women.

    5:30 - 6:20

  • Historical Writing
    What are the pitfalls of writing about history? What happens when a writer gets it wrong? What responsibilities does a writer have or not have, when they fictionalize historical events?
    Shauna Singh Baldwin, Minal Hajratwala, Meera Nair, Clinton Seely

    6:00 - 6:30

  • Shailja Patel
    Kenyan Indian performance poet.

    6:00 - 8:00

  • Meet the Authors Reception and Group Signing
    Eat, drink and schmooze with your favorite authors, editors, and agents. An informal opportunity to ask all those questions you've been dying to ask, and a formal opportunity to buy books and get them signed, making authors very happy.

    6:30 - 7:30

  • Rasaka Theater
    Rasaka Theatre Company, the Midwest's first and only South Asian Ensemble will present an exerpt from their critically acclaimed and Jeff Recommended production of "The Masrayana", written by William Kovacsik and directed by Anish Jethmalani.

    Set in contemporary India, this based-on-fact story tells of a gentle farmer legally declared dead in a scam to grab his land, and how the "dead man" fights to regain his life and identity. As he crosses India in search of justice, Gopal Masra meets not only his soul mate, but thousands more who share his plight. "The Masrayana" combines story theatre narrative with South Asian classical dance and music to create a warm, richly humane and universal modern saga.

    The performance will feature Anita Chandwaney, Sapna Kumar, Fawzia Mirza, Alka Nayyar, Vishal Patel, Marc Rita, Anita Thawani, Nikhil Trivedi and Bobby Zaman.

    7:00 - 8:00

  • Matt Geraghty Project
    Matt Geraghty Project will play South Asian and Global flavored jazz that's grooving. Returning from recent shows in Rio de Janeiro, MGP will be performing brand new material from their upcoming CD. MGP is Steve Ramsdell on Guitar, Jeff Fortin on Drums, Satya Gummuluri, Vocals and Matt Geraghty on Bass.

    Sunday, November 13, 2005

    9:00 - 12:00

  • Writing Workshop

    10:00 - 10:50

  • Exotic Literature
    What's wrong (if anything) with exoticising our dramatic, colorful, heritage? When you go to the bookstore, do you look for the books with beautiful women in colorful saris on the cover? Authors and readers discuss the politics of reading and writing 'exotic literature.'
    Nilofer Ahsan, Summi Kaipa, Sangeeta Mehta, Rashena Wilson, Linda Groetzinger (mod.)

  • Character and Emotion
    How do you approach capturing emotional truth (believable character emotions and motivations) in fiction?
    Ranjan Adiga, Abha Dawesar, Monika Jain, Sachin Waikar

  • Reading: Pireeni Sundaralingam and Mary Anne Mohanraj

    11:00 - 11:50

  • Dirty Laundry
    There is a clear market in the West for a certain kind of expose/pathos story from South Asia: child prostitutes, wife beating, widows in Brindhavan, untouchables, street kids, etc. When does exposing an evil move over into exploitation? What responsibilities does the writer have (if any)?
    Minal Hajratwala, Anil Menon, Sanjay Shah, Rashena Wilson, Vinita Bhojwani and Tanya Jogee of Apna Ghar (mod.)

  • The Business of Writing: Short Stories
    Writers and editors review the paths to writing short fiction, suggesting markets and ways to improve your writing.
    Ranjan Adiga, Sapna Gupta, Sachin Waikar

  • Reading: Abha Dawesar

    1:00 - 1:50

  • Sex and the Word
    In recent years, more and more South Asians have started writing explicitly around sexuality. Mary Anne Mohanraj, Ginu Kamani, the authors in _Desilicious_, the participants in _Yoni ki Baat_, and many performance poets all explore the sexual arena. What are the challenges of working with this material? What are the rewards? Are you willing to read an erotic story? How about in public, on a bus or train? Do you take the books off the shelves when your parents visit? Authors and readers discuss the pleasures and problems of writing and reading sex.
    Neela Banerjee, Abha Dawesar, Mary Anne Mohanraj, Shailja Patel

  • Writing and Language
    What languages do you choose to write in? Do you consider diction, dialect, formality? Do you worry about what your audience will be able to understand? Bushra Rehman, Sanjay Shah, Ravi Shankar

  • Reading: Ranjan Adiga and Sachin Waikar

    1:00 - 3:00

    Screening of The Journey, followed by brief Q&A with the director, Ligy Pullappally. In The Journey, Kiran is mortified by her growing lesbian desire for Delilah, in an idyllic South Indian community where arranged marriage is the only acceptable form of coupling. Screening made possible courtesy of Wolfe Releasing. Malayalam with English subtitles.

    2:00 - 2:50

  • The Business of Writing: Novels
    Writers, editors and agents review the paths to writing novels, discussing the process of writing your novel, the process of finding an agent and submitting your novel, and what happens after.
    Abha Dawesar, Sangeeta Mehta, Mary Anne Mohanraj, Rashena Wilson

  • Beyond the Arranged Marriage Novel
    Can we move beyond these [tired?] themes? Should we? Where would we go?
    Nilofer Ahsan, Uma Krishnaswami, Bushra Rehman

    3:00 - 3:15

  • Closing Ceremonies

SPECIAL NOTE: The weekend of the festival we are also co-sponsoring talks by Salman Rushdie and Vikram Seth, hosted by the Chicago Humanities Festival. To purchase tickets for these lectures, call the Chicago Humanities Festival ticket office at (312) 494-9509, or visit their website. Tickets may sell out, so please don't count on buying them at the door. Kriti all-weekend passes do not offer entrance to these two talks.

VIKRAM SETH: Two Lives
The author of A Suitable Boy discusses his latest work about a childless couple living in England -- he from the Raj's India, she a German-Jew who fled Hitler's Germany -- who take in their grand-nephew, Vikram Seth. This masterful fusion of memoir, biography, and history creates an extraordinary tapestry of India, the Third Reich and the Second World War, Auschwitz and the Holocaust, Israel and Palestine, post-war Germany, and 1970's Britain.

Sunday, November 13; 10:30 - 11:30 am
Northwestern University (Chicago Campus), Thorne Auditorium

CLOSING LECTURE: SALMAN RUSHDIE: The Scattered Concept of Home
For 30 years the Indian-born author of Satanic Verses and the recent Shalimar the Clown, among others, has explored the consequences of living in the "Age of Migration." In his work and in his life, he has pondered the implications and public effects of the uprooted, de-familiarized human self. In one of the Festival's final programs, he explores how all of our stories intersect-the story of India is now also an American tale; the story of al-Qaida is the story of New York.

Due to popular demand, a new block of balcony tickets will go on sale on first-come, first-serve at the door prior of Salman Rushdie's program. Please inquire about tickets at the DePaul Merle Reskin Theater ticket window on November 13, 2005 no earlier than 3:30 p.m.

Sunday, November 13; 5:00 - 6:00 pm
DePaul University (Downtown), Merle Reskin Theater
[info@desilit.org]