Dear all: just to share with you a note circulated on Jan 30, 2010 at the release of three books on Goan writing in English. Even though there were some questions raised about whether there exists a category like "Goan writing in English", I personally believe that this category is as logical as (if much smaller than) the now-recognised Indian writing in English.
My personal view is that "Goan writing" should include all related to Goa, Goan, diaspora Goan, the writing of a Richard F Burton (though we often don't like what he says) and any writer who doesn't happen to be ethnically Goan or a resident here but focusses on the region, and even Goan writing focussing on other parts of the globe. It should be inclusive enough to cover writing in any language -- Peter Nazareth says Goans have written in 13 languages -- and also in translation (Thomas Gay's translations can bring a wider audience to the work of an R.V. Pandit, though the latter was very perceptive to various aspects of the Goan reality, as expressed in his poem "I Am A Gaudo"). FN * * * Panel Discussion, Saturday, January 30, 2010 Goan Writing in English: How Vibrant and Relevant Is It Today? Panelists: Norma Alvares, Maria Aurora Couto, Vidyadhar Gadgil, Margaret Mascarenhas, Damodar Mauzo Moderator: Victor Rangel-Ribeiro Before we start, some questions to think about: How would you define a Goan writer? Someone born in Goa? A writer of Goan descent, born anywhere in the world? A writer of Goan descent, domiciled anywhere in the world? A writer of Goan descent, who writes about Goa? A writer of whatever ancestry, domiciled in Goa? A writer of Goan descent or domicile, who writes about Goa sympathetically? A writer of Goan descent, even if he denies or ignores his Goan roots? About "The Sting of Peppercorns" Antonio Gomes’s novel deals with the ouster of the Portuguese from Goa in 1961 and the impact it had on one particular affluent and aristocratic Goan family. Although a new social structure emerged with liberation, yet old ideas of caste and social prejudice continued to shape and shatter lives, but one son managed to survive and tell the tale. About Our Distinguished Panelists Padma Shri awardee Norma Alvares brings to the panel her vast background as publisher, distributor, and co-founder of the influential Other India Press and Bookshop; Maria Aurora Couto, also a Padma Shri awardee and author of Goa: A Daughter’s Story, brings to the discussion her wide knowledge of literature in English as well her researches into our immediate past; Margaret Mascarenhas, author of Skin and more recently of The Disappearance of Irene Dos Santos, and Damodar Mauzo, former Sahitya Akademi executive board member and author of the award-winning Karmelin, are distinguished novelists well qualified to defend the vibrancy and relevance of their art; long-time editor, reviewer and outspoken columnist Vidyadhar Gadgil can speak to the role of the press particularly as it relates to the nurturing of writers and literature. Today’s proceedings will be in two parts: a thirty-minute session with panelists debating the issues will be followed by a second session where the moderator will invite questions and comments from the audience. Questions can be put to the panel as a whole or addressed to individual panelists. Moderator Victor Rangel-Ribeiro, himself a novelist of note, has armed himself with a stopwatch, and plans to keep the proceedings moving at a very lively pace. 5.45 p.m. Book Launch of “The Sting of Peppercorns” by Antonio Gomes, “Modern Goan Literature” (Peter Nazareth, ed.), and “Mirror to Goa” by Donna Young, followed by book signing by author Antonio Gomes. -- Frederick Noronha Columnist :: journalism :: editing :: alt.publishing :: photography :: blogging
