The Dr. TMA Pai Indian Literary Chair instituted a year ago in Manipal is led by the Kannada writer Vaidehi. All through the year, the Chair has been conducting meaningful literary programmes in the form of lectures, discussions, and demonstrations. Some of these programmes are selections from Kumaravyasa Bharatha, reading and discussion, a lecture and demonstration on Bharata’s Natyashastra, a symposium on the multi-faceted genius of Rabindranath Tagore, a contemporary understanding of Shivaram Karanth’s novel Marali Mannige, and several poetry workshops. As part of the Chair’s activities, a documentation on the sub-languages of Karnataka is also taking place. The first book in the Dr. TMA Pai Indian Literature series, Kathana Bharathi, has also been released.
Stepping into its second year, the Chair is organising an Indian Short Story workshop beginning January 26. This workshop begins in St. Aloysius College, Mangalore with Dr. B.A. Vivek Rai releasing Kathana Bharathi, by critic T.P. Ashok. Apart from the Chairperson Vaidehi, playwright and director K.V. Akshara will be the resource person for the workshop.
The workshop will then move on to SMS College, Brahmavara, and Government First Grade College, Hiriyadka on January 27, 28 and 29. The resource persons for these workshops will be T.P. Ashok, S. Diwakar, G. Rajshekar, Siraj Ahmed, T. Avinash, G.K. Srikantamurthy, and L.C. Sumitra. These workshops are not just open to the students of the respective colleges, but also to students from nearby rural locations. The workshop accommodates a maximum of 100 students. Copies of T.P. Ashok’s book Kathana Bharathi, will be distributed freely to all the registered participants.
