The Enigma of Arrival: Modern India and Anglophone Literature

Saikat Majumdar, Stanford University Professor

Modern India and its people are increasingly associated with a narrative of achievement and prosperity in the economic and cultural realms. State-of-the-art technology and award-winning literature are two of India's most dazzling ambassadors. Majumdar will provide a brief overview of the field of modern Indian-English literature and raise some questions: Is it possible today to see the phenomenon of Anglophone Indian literature as separate from the new image of growth that currently engulfs this nation? What is gained, and what is lost when an art form gets so closely wedded to themes of progress and achievement in the national and global public sphere?

This program complements "India Rising: Tradition Meets Modernity," Humanities West's two-day program of lectures, discussions and musical presentations exploring the dynamic fusion of modern Indian culture, where ancient tradition meets current innovation and is revealed in contemporary art, literature, film and music. The program takes place on Friday, February 27, from 8 pm to 10:15 pm and Saturday, February 28, from 10 am to 4 pm, at Herbst Theatre, 401 Van Ness Avenue in San Francisco.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at the Commonwealth Club of California on February 27, 2009.