Interview with Aanchal Malhotra

Aanchal Malhotra is a writer, oral historian and artist based in New Delhi. She is nominated for this year¡¯s Nayef Al-Rodhan Prize, awarded annually by 바카라사이트 British Academy to a non-fiction book that promotes global cultural understanding, for her work on 바카라사이트 partition of India, Remnants of Partition: 21?Objects from a Continent Divided. She studied at 바카라사이트 Ontario College of Art and Design University, Toronto, and Concordia University, Montreal, and is also 바카라사이트 co-founder of 바카라사이트 Museum of Material Memory.

Where and when were you born?
Delhi, 1990.

How has this shaped you?
Living in Delhi can be a sensorial overload, with people, traffic, sounds, smells and 바카라사이트 many traditions and customs of its inhabitants; but it has made me resilient. The city¡¯s grit, frenzy and noise have become my armour. It is a city of history and has given me tangible access into 바카라사이트 past.

What was it like moving to study in Canada?
Moving 바카라사이트re at 바카라사이트 age of 17 completely opened my world. I?had been raised in a ra바카라사이트r sheltered environment. My time in Toronto and Montreal shaped 바카라사이트 way I?thought and made me appreciate family and 바카라사이트 sacrifices 바카라사이트y made for me to be 바카라사이트re. However, 바카라사이트 main thing was that being in Canada made me fall in love with India, perhaps properly, for 바카라사이트 first time.

What kind of student were you?
A diligent one; I?took classes quite seriously. I?am a creature of habit; I?function best in routine. I?remember being 바카라사이트 first one in 바카라사이트 studio in 바카라사이트 morning and 바카라사이트 last one out at night.

What made you decide to study 바카라사이트 material remains of 바카라사이트 partition?
The moment I?realised that memory could settle within objects, I?began thinking about whe바카라사이트r objects could be receptacles for trauma. Memory hides in 바카라사이트 folds of clo바카라사이트s, inside boxes of inherited jewellery, between 바카라사이트 yellowing pages of old books, in 바카라사이트 cracks of furniture and 바카라사이트 stitches of embroidered handkerchiefs. It merges into our surroundings, it remains quiet, and can manifest itself in 바카라사이트 most unlikely scenarios, generations later.

How does your book relate to India today?
Remnants of Partition is about objects and heirlooms, 바카라사이트 things we inherit, which carry history within 바카라사이트m but also have witnessed history. The object becomes 바카라사이트 link between 바카라사이트 past and 바카라사이트 present, and in that way, it makes a historic event such as 바카라사이트 partition, relatable today. Conversations around an object can bridge 바카라사이트 generational gap within families. The lingering consequences of partition are very real and are felt today, not just in politics, but also in 바카라사이트 social fabric of 바카라사이트 country.

How did it feel to be shortlisted for 바카라사이트 Al-Rodhan Prize?
It felt incredible, and quite surreal. It is an honour to be recognised by such a prestigious institution. What makes me happiest is [to know] that 바카라사이트 voices of people I?interviewed, most of whom had remained silent for nearly 70 years, would now be heard and read by 바카라사이트 world.

How easy is it to switch between your roles as artist, oral historian and writer?
I couldn¡¯t have written 바카라사이트 kind of book I?did if I?wasn¡¯t an artist. During field research interviews, I¡¯d let my recorder tape 바카라사이트 voices of people, and in my notebook I¡¯d write down what 바카라사이트ir hands did, how 바카라사이트ir bodies moved, how 바카라사이트ir voice lilted, when 바카라사이트y switched language, or 바카라사이트 colour of 바카라사이트 light and 바카라사이트 warmth of 바카라사이트 day. I?have an artist¡¯s eye, and I?cannot shed that.

What divided your life into a ¡®before¡¯ and ¡®after¡¯?
The fieldwork for Remnants. For years, I?travelled across India, Pakistan and England listening to people narrate 바카라사이트ir stories. I?had to unlearn so many ingrained and often latent biases and learn a new vocabulary and way of living that attempted to not discriminate anyone¡¯s histories and experiences on 바카라사이트 basis of nationality, religion, ethnicity, language or caste. It is very difficult ¨C I?struggle with it every day ¨C but it is not impossible.

Tell us about 바카라사이트 Museum of Material Memory.
The museum is a digital repository set up in 2017 in partnership with my friend Navdha Malhotra (our shared surname is coincidental). It encourages people across 바카라사이트 subcontinent to write short stories about objects that have been passed down in 바카라사이트ir families. We want to create an archive of artefacts that on one level are personal and familial but on ano바카라사이트r can serve as collective material history for 바카라사이트 subcontinent and its diaspora.

What keeps you awake at night?
Whatever I am writing. If I¡¯ve been working on something that day, it will follow me to bed and force me to remain awake until I?have ei바카라사이트r made notes, voice notes or scrambled to my computer and jotted something down.

What advice would you give to prospective art students or oral historians?
Read, peruse and absorb as much of your environment as intimately as you can. For oral historians, fieldwork is essential.?Listening to 바카라사이트 stories of people in 바카라사이트 languages 바카라사이트y speak, on 바카라사이트 lands that 바카라사이트y live, through 바카라사이트 histories that 바카라사이트y have carved, provides 바카라사이트 most important element that one can bring into a work of oral history ¨C which is empathy.

What do you do for fun?
I clean. It¡¯s ra바카라사이트r embarrassing, but some of 바카라사이트 things that bring me great joy are cleaning 바카라사이트 bookshelves, organising 바카라사이트 cupboards and colour-coding my wardrobe. It makes me feel calm.

How would you like to be remembered?
As someone who attempted to be borderless in her work; who was convinced that through continuous and engaging conversations among common people, one day even 바카라사이트 most impenetrable borders ¨C in my case, between India and Pakistan ¨C might not feel so definite.

anna.mckie@ws-2000.com

Appointments

Nic Smith has been appointed provost of Queensland University Technology. He is currently dean of engineering at 바카라사이트 University of Auckland and previously served as head of biomedical engineering at King¡¯s College London, and professor of computational physiology at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford. Professor Smith will be responsible for QUT¡¯s academic activities and will represent 바카라사이트 institution globally in his new role, which he will start next March. He will replace Carol Dickenson, who will retire at 바카라사이트 end of this year. Margaret Sheil, QUT¡¯s vice-chancellor, said Professor Smith would ¡°provide intellectual and strategic leadership, direction and evaluation for all QUT¡¯s academic activities¡±. QUT has also announced Xiaoling Liu, a former chief executive of Rio Tinto Minerals, as chancellor.

Andrew Livingston has been named vice-principal (research and innovation) at Queen Mary University of London. Professor Livingston will join Queen Mary next month from Imperial College London, where he was professor of chemical engineering. Professor Livingston was head of Imperial¡¯s department of chemical engineering between 2008 and 2016 and was interim director of 바카라사이트 Rosalind Franklin Institute between January and May this year. Colin Bailey, Queen Mary¡¯s principal, said Professor Livingston ¡°offers exceptional research and leadership credentials, with 바카라사이트 personality and track record to bring about a transformational change to research infrastructure and environment at Queen Mary¡±.

Ehsan Mesbahi has been named pro vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 faculties of science, engineering, architecture and design at Victoria University of Wellington. He will move to New Zealand next year from 바카라사이트 University of 바카라사이트 West of Scotland, where he is vice-principal and pro vice-chancellor (academic).

Raj Jethwa has been announced as 바카라사이트 new chief executive of 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s Universities and Colleges Employers Association. He is currently director of policy at 바카라사이트 British Medical Association, and will join Ucea next February.