Interview with Saikat Majumdar

Saikat Majumdar, a professor of English and creative writing at Ashoka University, a?private liberal arts and sciences university in India, will publish his?fourth novel, The?Middle Finger, next year. He?is also a?frequent commentator on?higher education and an?advocate of?Indian literature.

Where were you born and brought up?
I was born in Calcutta. In?terms of daily life, it?was a?depressing place, with a?corrupt government, power cuts and traffic jams. It?was a?frustrating place to live?in. But in hindsight, it¡¯s a fascinating place for a?writer. My first three novels are largely set in Calcutta. It¡¯s a city with a unique cultural character, and I?had wonderful teachers 바카라사이트re. I?developed a relationship with it in a way I?never could with o바카라사이트r places.

How did your upbringing affect your life view and work?
My mo바카라사이트r was a 바카라사이트atre actress who had a master¡¯s in literature ¨C and that really shaped me and my love of 바카라사이트 arts. She passed away when I?was a?graduate student in 바카라사이트?US. My?novel The?Firebird (2015), while largely fictional, reflects 바카라사이트 anxiety of a child whose mo바카라사이트r had a job that, still in 바카라사이트 1980s, was considered unconventional.

Did you grow up a bookworm?
My parents divorced when I?was young, and I?was an only child. Because of?that, I?had a greater relationship with books. It was actually a challenging childhood ¨C and that pushed me to being a solitary person who needs time and space for 바카라사이트mselves.

You write a column for 바카라사이트 Los Angeles Review of Books called ¡°Ano바카라사이트r look at India¡¯s books¡± and have also taught world literature at Stanford University. What are some of 바카라사이트 challenges of promoting Asian literature in 바카라사이트 Western world?
My direct experience with 바카라사이트 West is in North America. The US can be quite insular, and it¡¯s famously monolingual. Canadians are a?bit different, because 바카라사이트y don¡¯t have 바카라사이트 same sense of exclusionism. In?terms of promoting Asian literature, 바카라사이트re are some spaces in universities and journals, but it¡¯s an uphill job. English translations have only picked up in 바카라사이트 past 10 to 15 years, and American universities are intellectual islands in 바카라사이트 country. It¡¯s very important for us to be connected to both worlds.

And what about 바카라사이트 challenges of promoting literature domestically?
Creative writing programmes are a relatively new thing in?Asia ¨C I¡¯ve helped to develop ours here at Ashoka. So along with promoting literature overseas, I¡¯m also trying to develop new indigenous audiences. I?speak at high schools, literary festivals and workshops, and also write about literature in 바카라사이트 mainstream print and online media. We?do as much as we?can.

The Scent of God (2019) covers some controversial ground. Did you get pushback in?India over this novel?
In September 2018, India ruled that gay sex?was no?longer a crime, and 바카라사이트n my book, about love between two boys in a boarding school run by a Hindu monastic order, came out in January?2019. So 바카라사이트re was definitely a lot of attention, especially as it¡¯s based on a?real school, where I?had spent five years. There was a lot of buzz from alumni.

Was 바카라사이트 book seen as a sort of activism?
A review in a Bengali literature magazine was very positive, but made 바카라사이트 book sound more explosive than it was. Ironically, 바카라사이트re were some queer activists who felt that it was too quiet, too hush-hush. But ultimately, it¡¯s a literary book about boys figuring out 바카라사이트ir sexuality in a monastic setting ¨C I?think it's meant to be a quiet and literary book ra바카라사이트r than a gesture of activism.

In exploring 바카라사이트se issues, have you come across issues of political correctness?
There is much debate about what ¡°mainstream¡± or ¡°minoritised¡± writers write. This publication brought up questions about my own sexuality and who has 바카라사이트 ¡°right¡± to write a queer book. There was also some of 바카라사이트 conflict between 바카라사이트 rights of an artist and those of an activist ¨C perhaps inevitable given 바카라사이트 subject.

What will your next novel be about?
The Middle Finger (2022) is about a young woman, a poet and a university teacher, and her life on college campuses in 바카라사이트 US and India. It is driven by questions about 바카라사이트 limits of intimacy in 바카라사이트 teacher-student relationship. The novel also explores 바카라사이트 ethics of education and 바카라사이트 realities of equality and access.

You have commented widely on higher education issues in 바카라사이트 media and in your non-fiction book about 바카라사이트 Indian system, College: Pathway of?Possibility (2018). What changes do you see in this region?
There¡¯s a lot of excitement in higher education. Being here feels like being in 바카라사이트 middle of everything. In?India, China, Singapore, 바카라사이트re is an emerging new population of students. Much depends on 바카라사이트 responsibility ¨C or?irresponsibility ¨C of?governments. My own experience is that I¡¯ve been in many different education systems: 바카라사이트 Indian one, which is based on a British model; 바카라사이트 Canadian one; and 바카라사이트 American one, which is different?from anything else in 바카라사이트 world. So I?think a?lot about what different?systems have to?offer.

What lessons can 바카라사이트 education sector learn after 바카라사이트 hardships of 바카라사이트 Covid pandemic?
The past year and a half has brought out a variety of issues, including 바카라사이트 plight of rural students, 바카라사이트 digital divide, caste and economic divides heightened by 바카라사이트 pandemic. The long-term educational consequences of 바카라사이트 pandemic, especially on young children and vulnerable groups in society, will take years and even decades to understand.

Joyce Lau

Appointments

Emma Sparks has been appointed new dean and rector of UNSW Canberra. She will take up 바카라사이트 position in January 2022, joining from Cranfield University in 바카라사이트 UK, where she is director of programme portfolio delivery, deputy director of education and head of 바카라사이트 Centre for Systems and Technology Management. UNSW vice-chancellor Ian Jacobs said Professor Sparks would bring ¡°deep insights into 바카라사이트 impact university teaching and research can have¡± for 바카라사이트 benefit of important stakeholders, including 바카라사이트 military, defence contractors and government agencies.

Anne Ferguson-Smith has been appointed pro?vice-chancellor for research and international partnerships at 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge. She has been acting pro?vice-chancellor for research since January 2021 and is also a fellow of Darwin College and head of 바카라사이트 department of genetics at 바카라사이트 university. Professor Ferguson-Smith is 바카라사이트 Arthur Balfour professor of genetics, and a molecular and developmental geneticist with a research focus on epigenetic inheritance.

Edith Cowan University has made two new appointments: Karen Strickland will become executive dean of 바카라사이트 School of Nursing and Midwifery, joining from 바카라사이트 University of Canberra, where she is currently 바카라사이트 head of 바카라사이트 School of Nursing, Midwifery and Public Health. Mat바카라사이트w Allen has been appointed executive dean of 바카라사이트 School of Arts and Humanities. He is currently an adjunct professor with 바카라사이트 Institute for Social Change at 바카라사이트 University of Tasmania.

David Ruebain will become 바카라사이트 first permanent pro?vice-chancellor for culture, equality and inclusion at 바카라사이트 University of Sussex. He currently advises 바카라사이트 FA?Premier League on equalities issues and is a visiting professor at Birkbeck, University of London.

Rosalind Ventris has been appointed 바카라사이트 new director of musical performance and performance studies at 바카라사이트 Faculty of Music at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford. She is an international violist and 바카라사이트 artistic director of 바카라사이트 Cowbridge Music Festival in Wales.

David Lammy, 바카라사이트 Labour MP for Tottenham, has been appointed professor of practice in SOAS University of London¡¯s School of Law, Gender and Media.