Friday 21 December 2012

T.G.Narayanan Memorial Lecture - A Report

Professor Gauri Viswanathan releasing the fourth issue of Eclectic Representations
The first of the TG Narayanan Memorial Lecture Series, organised by the PG & Department of English, Madras Christian College, was indeed a trendsetter of sorts! It's quite rare in the annals of memorial lectures to have such a committed audience of academics and research scholars throng in so enthusiastic a fashion to ardently listen to the lecture of Professor Gauri today, [Friday, 21 December, 2012] at the grand Media Studies Auditorium. As our Principal rightly pointed out, the occasion was indeed a fitting finale to the 175th anniversary year-long celebrations which began in right earnest in the first week of January 2012. 

Gauri Viswanathan, Professor of English and Comparative Literature, Columbia University, focussed on English Studies in the era of globalisation, and assessed the impact of postcolonialism in literature. Eminent personalities from all over India were present in large numbers, and the Media Studies Auditorium was packed to capacity even before the lecture had started. Staff and students from many city colleges made a bee-line to listen to the eminent academic, Gauri Viswanathan, on her maiden lecture in Chennai in a long time. Dr.C.T.Indra, Dr.Hoshang Merchant, Mr.N.Ravi (brother of Mr.N.Ram, The Hindu), were among the host of luminaries present. Dr.Stephen, the Head of the Department, welcomed the gathering, and Dr.Ganesh, President, The English Association, introduced the Chief Guest of the day. After the Principal's inaugural address, Mr.N.Ranga Narayanan elaborated on the lecture series, paying rich encomiums to his father, in whose name this endowment has been instituted. 

Monday 17 December 2012

Prakriti Poetry Fest'12

Noted poet Arundhati Subramaniam, at the Prakriti Poetry Festival 2012 @ MCC
The Prakriti Poetry Fest'12 organised by The English Association, MCC, took off to a flying start today [17 Dec] with noted poet Arundhati Subramaniam reciting her poems to an eager audience of poetry-enthusiasts, at the Indoor theatre, Selaiyur Hall. Renowned Sri Lankan poet Cheran also read out his poems, followed by the poet Rahul Soni.