A memorable day!

 Chennai Book Fair 2017

Helen Glory, R. II MA English 

I had the opportunity of visiting the Chennai Book Fair on 19th January which was held in St. George’s School, Chetpet. It was a very wonderful experience. I have never gone to any book fair before and I was almost stunned while looking into the various collections of books.

When I looked at those precious varieties of books, I was really inspired to read all those books. There are more than 750 stalls and each stall had unique and different types of books. I was particularly attracted to one quote that was found hanging on the top of Stall No.112

This stall was named, ‘Tamil Mann Padhipagam.’ It had various books on Maraimalaiyadigal’s speeches and writings. I saw some quotes that were hung on the top of this stall; Actually it was these inspiring quotes that made me go close to the stall and have a look at the books that were on display at the stall.

Awe-inspiring and heartening!

SIGHTS, SOUNDS AND ENCOUNTERS

AT THE 2017 CHENNAI BOOK FAIR

- Ravi Shankar S. N., II MA English

The notion of being around books and the people who love them fills me with a sense of positive energy. Despite being a sporadic reader and quite rigid in my choice of subject matter, I decided early on that I wouldn’t miss this year’s Chennai Book Fair at any cost and set out to visit the fair on Sunday, the 8^th of January. It was a memory to cherish, and I’m thrilled at the prospect of recollecting it here. It makes me relive some pretty memorable moments.

My first thought on reaching the venue and looking at the number of stalls was “Wow!” Hundreds of stalls jam-packed with books… It was a book lover’s paradise, and I wished that non-readers also visited the place just to see the sheer grandeur of it. I criss-crossed my way across stalls, overwhelmed by the vast collections that populated each shelf. Furthermore, if I thought the number of books was awe-inspiring, the number of people there was even more so. In the social-media dominated world of today, the sight of so many youngsters picking up their favourite books was heartening to behold.

While browsing shelves, I also engaged in a bit of “people-watching”. I overheard parents picking out books for their kids and even better, kids picking out books for themselves. As someone whose childhood was shaped by books, I couldn’t help thinking that I was secretly privy to a potential momentous event in the life of those kids.

வாசிப்பினை வசமாக்குவோம்!

ஒரு குளிர்காலத்தில்…

SALEENA, S. II MA English

பொதுவாகவே புத்தக திருவிழா என்றால் டிசம்பரில் மட்டுமே கிடைக்கும் எக்ஸ்ட்ரா ஐந்து நிமிட உறக்கம் போல் எங்கிருந்தோ ஒரு வெம்மை என்னை சுற்றிக் கொள்ளும். வருடம் முழக்க ஆங்காங்கே இருக்கும் புத்தகக் கடைகளில் சில்லரையாக புத்தகங்கள் வாங்கினாலும் புத்தக திருவிழாவின் போது மொத்தமாக அள்ளி அணைத்து வரும் புத்தகங்களின் மீதான பாசம் கொஞ்சம் அதீதமானது தான். காரணம், புத்தகக் கண்காட்சியில்  ஆதர்சமான ஓர் எழுத்தாளர் வந்திருந்தால் அவரிடம் உடனடியாக கையெழுத்து பெற முடியும். அவருடன் உரையாட முடியும். அதன் மூலமாக அந்தப் புத்தகங்கள்  ஏனைய புத்தகங்கலிலிருந்து தனித்துவம் பெறுவதையும் உணர முடியும்.

நாற்பதாம் ஆண்டு சென்னைப் புத்தகக் கண்காட்சிக் குறித்த அறிவிப்பு வெளியான நாள் முதலிருந்தே என்னுள் ஒருவித பதற்றமும் எதிர்பார்ப்பும் குடிக்கொள்ள ஆரம்பித்தன. பதற்றம் உண்டாக காரணம், புத்தகக் கண்காட்சிக்குச் செல்ல தேவையான அளவு பணத்தைச் சேர்க்க வேண்டுமென்பது. எதிர்பார்ப்பு உண்டாக காரணம், புத்தகக் கண்காட்சியில் நிறைய்ய புத்தகங்களுடன் சுற்றி சுழலும் நிறைய்ய மனிதர்களையும் நண்பர்களையும் நிறைய்ய எழுத்தாளர்களையும் சந்திக்க முடியும் என்ற சூழல் குறித்த பேரானந்தம்.

புத்தக திருவிழா ஆரம்பித்து இரண்டு நாள் ஆகியும் தொடர்ந்து நிறைத்திருந்த வேலைகளின் காரணமாக செல்ல முடியவில்லை என்றாலும் அந்த மூன்றாவது நாளுக்கான ஆயத்தங்களை இரண்டாவது நாள் இரவே தொடங்கியாயிற்று.

இந்த வருட புத்தக திருவிழாவில் புத்தகங்கள் வாங்குவது தவிர்த்து பபாசி மற்றும் வாசக சாலை எனும் இலக்கிய அமைப்புகள் இணைந்து நடத்தும் தொடர் இலக்கிய நிகழ்வுகளுக்கான நிகழ்வினை 'தொகுத்து வழங்கும் பணி' எனக்கு அளிக்கப்பட்டிருந்தது.

காலை 11.30 மணியளவில் விழா துவங்கி விடும் என்பதால் தாம்பரத்தில் 10 மணிக்கு மின்சார ரயில் ஏறி அமர்ந்த பின் தான் எந்த நிறுத்தத்தில் இறங்க வேண்டும் என்ற ஒரு முழு முதலான ஒரு விஷயத்தையே பதற்றத்தில் மறந்திருந்ததனை உணர்ந்தேன்.

I CIA for II MA English - Reg.

Dear Students of II MA English,

Please click HERE for a detailed essay on the Renaissance and the Elizabethan Age for your I CIA which has now been rescheduled for 01 February 2017.

You just need to do a summary of this essay for your CIA, as much as you can do in the stipulated time limit.

Best wishes,

Rufus

Course Teacher

To each their own!

BUS NO 101 AND UNO CARDS

C. L. Sam Paul, II MA English

My first ever visit to the Chennai book fair started with a bit of agitation, as I didn’t board the bus on time. It was the half-hour wait at Sriperumbudhur and Poonamalee respectively that annoyed me a lot. Since I travel for three hours every day it was not a strange thing to wait for a bus, but on that particular day, since it happened to be an unknown route, I was told by people around me to board bus no 101. As I was eagerly looking for bus no 101, I found it on the extreme left and with a huge grin I safely boarded the bus, and luckily I got a seat too.

After ten minutes, the conductor came in; since he was ticketing from behind, I couldn’t verify immediately, and so I waited… for ten more minutes; driver started bus, when conductor came near, I checked with him whether the bus would pass through Chennai book fair, but then to my surprise, conductor said ‘NO!’ I was taken aback, 25 minutes wait resulted in vain! I sadly got down, called up my brother, who repeated the same word “Bus No 101” again, and so quite furiously I treaded to a booth nearby, and yet again I was told that it was 'Bus No 101!'

Memories come alive...

 The 40th Chennai Book Fair

Indumathi, D. II MA English

Going to the book fair for the first time was a good experience to me. I never thought I could witness this sea-like plethora of books at one place. “It is not enough, yes! one day is not enough to explore this book world,” I thought to myself, but - I couldn’t help but finish my journey into the world of books - as quickly as possible – as my father was waiting for me. And so I went again with my friends on the last day of the book fair again to continue my search in the book fair.

This time I told myself that I will check the stalls, which I missed out last time, but yet again – even this time around I couldn’t check them all. One stall which got my attention again and again was the children’s book stall. I wish I could’ve brought along my nephews and niece to the book fair. It would’ve been a good opportunity to introduce some good books to them. Each stall reminded me of someone or the other.

The right word at the right time...

The Power of Words

Thejas Gigy Thomas, I MA English

“Words are pale shadows of forgotten names. As names have power, words have power. Words can light fires in the mind of men. Words can wring tears from the hardest hearts”.

                                                                               -  Patrick Rothfuss                                                                                                          

Words are the most powerful weapon man or woman can ever acquire the power to explain thy thoughts and feelings upon one another. The power to manipulate, the power to fabricate a story, the power to compose a song or story, is all powers that the English language and intelligence around the world has brought to us.

Raman Chettan was our paddy field supervisor. When given coffee, he would say, “Oh Coffee! Tea would have been better”. When Tapioca with fish was given, he would say, “Fish? Chili chutney would have been better”. He did not actually mean what he said. Many of us, like him, never think about about what we say. Words are like arrows. They have the ability to hit the target if you shoot well, otherwise, words sting. And words once used cannot be taken back. So choose your words wisely. Reader’s Digest published a book titled “Use the Right Word”. Though it is about the use of right vocabulary, I feel in our daily life we must use the right words to communicate. Iam not talking about the art of public speaking but how we talk to one another in our day-to-day life. Once a mother visited her newly married son and saw their new refrigerator. She asked, “So you bought the refrigerator?” Pat came her daughter-in-law’s sharp reply, “This is not your son’s money, this is my dad’s gift”. The mother did not say anything more.

I would like to re-phrase the old proverb “pen is mightier than a sword” into “words are sharper than swords”. To emphasize the importance of words, Proverbs 12:18 in the Bible says, “Thoughtless words can wound as deeply as any sword, but wisely spoken words can heal.” Again in Proverbs chapter 15 the strength of words is described. It is quite shameful to hear our political leaders using unpleasant words to address each other. Some of us have the habit of giving uncalled for remarks like,” what happened? You put on weight?” or “Your hair has started graying?” or “You look very sick” or “This blouse is not matching with your sari”. Never give negative comments.  You can give suggestions if asked.

Teachers and parents often use the words useless, stupid, idiot and others. Can’t you call children by their names? Kind words do not cost much. Yet they accomplish much says Blaise Pascal. Another quote goes like, “Words are singularly the most powerful force available to humanity. We can choose to use this force constructively with words of encouragement, or destructively using words of despair. Words have energy and power with the ability to help, to heal, to hinder, to hurt, to harm, to humiliate to humble.”

Down memory lane...

BIBLICHOR

Megha P. S, I M.A. English 

On a sunny afternoon, when people are usually lazing in their rooms, Denita, Rin and I were anxiously waiting for the suburb train to arrive at Tambaram station from where we all were to go to the Chennai Book Fair organized by BAPASI (Booksellers' and Publishers' Association of South India). The excitement had kicked in from the very beginning and throughout the train journey, we were the loudest in the entire compartment, discussing various issues as well as giggling occasionally. Finally, on reaching Nungambakkam, we made our way to St. George Anglo-Indian High Secondary School, which was the venue for the book fair. As we entered the gates of the school, we saw old buildings and a sprawling ground where the stalls were set.

The next minute, as we entered the shamiana, the entire place was crowded with people who entered into different stalls like swarms of bees looking out for their favorite author and books. Walking ahead, we stopped by at Om Logaheshwari Book house, which housed a variety of books for children, be it coloring books or graphic or pop-up books. It took us down the memory lane and just like children, we picked up magic books and other graphic books to glance through it. While reliving my childhood, I found a girl who held on to a pile of books while looking at her mother for approval to buy all those books. The children, with their wondrous and gleaming eyes were happy to be lost in the world of books.

Not only were there book stalls, but also many food and bag stalls were set up at the fair. We saw the young and the old slurping their ice creams on a hot afternoon and some tea lovers sipping their evening chai over some intellectual conversations. As we walked on, we ran into some of our seniors with whom we continued on the trail to some second hand book stores. In Om Sakthi book store, the second hand books were priced at Rs. 50 per book. The bibliophiles rushed into the second hand book shops in order to find the books that have been in their bucket list for long. As I picked up Charles Dickens’s Hard Times, the familiar comforting smell and yellowed pages of the book greeted me. Inside the book, the memorable lines were marked with pink and neon highlighters which had its own story to tell.

Remembering the Father of the Fantastic!

Tolkein’s seminal work enabled an entire genre to emerge from the shadows

On his 125^th birth anniversary, a look back at J. R. R. Tolkien’s oeuvre

In terms of international literary events, 2016 belonged to Shakespeare, whose 400th death anniversary caused year-long commemorative celebrations the world over. This year began with another literary milestone: January 3, 2017 marked the 125th birth anniversary of John Ronald Reuel Tolkien.

Although not perhaps in the same league as Shakespeare, Tolkien is doubtless a rather significant figure of 20th century English literature, one who was responsible for pioneering the great vogue of fantasy in contemporary times and who had a cult status, especially among the youth, for his “mythopoeic” indictments of the aridity of modern industrial culture.

In recognition of the enduring worldwide appeal of his creations, The Times in 2008 ranked him the sixth among the 50 greatest British writers since 1945.

A professor of Old and Middle English literature at Leeds and then Oxford, Tolkien was primarily an academic whose study of the ancient heroic epic Beowulf remains a standard reference to the subject even today (Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics, 1936). Much of his creative writing, in fact, emerged as a product of his leisure-time activity — such as the connected series of fantastic tales, poems, and fictional histories that was written over years for the author’s self-amusement. This body of work, which the author called “legendarium”, was published posthumously under various titles, notably, The Book of Lost Tales (1983-84) and Silmarillon (1977). These were preceded in his lifetime by his masterpieces The Hobbit (1937), and The Lord of the Rings (1954-55).

Amongst a host of Book Bees and Book Trees...

“Books, Books, Books…”

(Story of a Blooming Writer)

S.VEILLAKSHMIKANTH, II MA English

This is my second book fair in Chennai. I wonder that it would be my last book fair, because I don’t know where I will be in the next year. Even if it is, wherever I will be, I will definitely turn up for the next year's book fair as well. With this hopeful note I begin my real story.

That afternoon Kevin and myself decided to go to the book fair after having the lunch at our Hall mess. We went by train to Chetpet and from there we walked to the book fair. As we were walking towards St.George School where the book fair was going on, we happened to see a lot of second hand book stalls in the platform. It was the “Poor People’s Book Fair”. People like me who couldn’t afford to buy new books always go for this one.

I bought only two books from the PPBF. But Kevin bought eleven books which I carried in my bag like a heavy load. I saw Kevin as a rich man in the “Poor People’s Book Fair”. I said to myself that I would also buy many books like Kevin when I earn my own money. Our purchase was over at PPBF.

We then moved to the glamorous “Rich People’s Book Fair”. Colourful banners greeted us with their publishing house’s names on them. The place was crowded with “Book Bees”. They hovered around many “Book Trees” to pluck the best “Book Flowers”. My wandering eyes longingly looked at Book Flowers beautifully arranged in their shelves.

Tracing the Fair to its Roots...

Phenomenal Patronage for Books Over the Years

Andrew Jasper, II MA English

I had the pleasure of going to the book exhibition held at St. George's school during the Pongal Holidays with my family. A vast number  of book sellers had stalls. Nearly 600 stalls in Tamil and English were spread under a huge shamiana constructed for the occasion. This Chennai Book Fair  is an annual book fair organized in the Chennai by the Booksellers and Publishers Association of South India (BAPASI). The fair typically lasts for about two weeks during the New Year-Pongal season. This book fair is a trump card for most publishers as they reap nearly half of their sales in a year during this fair. Before every book fair, these publishers print a lot of books and owe lump sum money as debts.

It is said that the First Madras Book Fair was organized in Madras between December 14 and December 24, 1977, by The Booksellers and Publishers Association of South India (BAPASI), an association of major publishing companies of Tamil Nadu. The first Madras Book Fair had 22 stalls and was held at the Madrasa-i-Azam school due to the initiative of K. V. Mathew of B. I. Publications. He is also credited with planning and organisation of the next five editions of the fair. The Quaid-e-Milleth Government Arts College for Women remained the venue of the book fair till 2007, and then when the venue was shifted to St. George Anglo-Indian High Secondary School on the Poonamallee High Road due to space and parking constraints.

Shaking the dust off a long lost art!

Christina Mary George, II M.A English

Don’t you just share the excitement with the whole of the human race when one receives a  fresh new book yet to be peeled from its pristine cover, to hear the crinkle of the pages being turned but with utmost care, or when your fingers ache to simply mark the most heart-warming or brain-boosting quote? Well, I fall into neither of them.

My heart, unlike others’, skips a beat seeing the sensuous patterns that the hand creates when it glides across paper with an instrument that was endowed to us humans, only for good, by the Gods who believed in beauty. Books or words never did excite me as much as its layout. How every chapter starts with an embossed ornate capital letter, decked with gold and flowers made more sense and delivered more beauty than any words could possibly convey.

In an age where the tap-tap of keyboards overpower the irritable soothing scratching of a nib, you cannot help but wonder in sorrow when the day will come that you bury the pen to rest in peace. After all, it had earned its share of greatness creating and etching down history and wonderful works of art. Why wouldn’t it want some rest? But I wouldn’t let it. No, not for one moment. History must not end at the expense of virtual reality! It must go on and wield itself, sharper every time, to stab technology in its brain stem and to conquer the human race with its unpleasant scratchings but beautiful renditions in seamless strokes!

Handwriting that’s dying a slow and painful death can only be resuscitated by a whiff of fresh air and a genuine love for the rustic. A splosh of ink here, a smudge there  and many torn up pages later, you are endowed with the insane talent of etching music and dance and all things art into that one beautiful stroke that creates words, that ultimately create meaning to those who look too deep to understand the sheer beauty of the periphery.

Realising the Strength of your Roots...

My journey back to my true love!

- Joanna Shalom John, II M.A. English

The book fair was the perfect place for the intoxication of paper and words. For someone whose world revolves around words that create the ideal world, this became the tangible utopia! There were various publishers with their best books on display. My eyes roamed through every pack of books that I’ve admired for years such as Lord of the Rings and Chronicles of Narnia. The second-hand book stores provided their taste to life with book with notes of love and wishes on the front page. Ironically this was the first time that my eyes fell on so many Tamil books! The letters spoke to me like no other. And for the first time, I went around searching for one Tamil book through around 200 stalls…and stopping by each to ask for Karukku by Bama. Since I had been introduced to the English translation of the text, the insufficiency of the English language to hold the Tamil mind lingered on and no distance could’ve been a barrier to grabbing a hold of the text! There was one Tamil stall that I landed on and asked for this text. The helper in the stall said that he had a copy of it... his search felt endless, through the dust… the joy on my face was unimaginable, something that only my friends got to see when he pulled out that one copy that they had.

പല പുസ്തകങ്ങളും എന്നെ നോക്കി ചിരിക്കുന്നതായി തോന്നി...

ഞാന്‍ കണ്ട ചെന്നൈ പുസ്തക മേള ... 

Aparna, R. II MA English

വിചാരങ്ങള്‍ക്കപ്പുറം വികാരമാകുന്ന ചില കാര്യങ്ങളുണ്ട്... ഒരു സാഹിത്യ വിദ്യാര്‍ത്ഥിനി എന്ന പേര് ലഭിച്ചതിനോടൊപ്പം എനിക്ക് നഷ്‌ടമായ എന്‍റെ വായനാശീലം... മുന്‍പ് നിയന്ത്രണങ്ങള്‍ ഏതുമില്ലാതെ, കയ്യും കണക്കുമില്ലാതെ വായിച്ചു തീര്‍ത്ത പുസ്തകങ്ങള്‍... പിന്നീട് “സിലബസ്” എന്ന നാലക്ഷരത്തിനുള്ളിലൊതുങ്ങി, ഇഷ്ടമില്ലയെങ്കിലും പുറത്ത് കാണിക്കാതെ നിര്‍ബന്ധമായും വായിച്ചു തീര്‍ത്തേ മതിയാകു എന്ന് മനസിനെ നിര്‍ബന്ധ ബുദ്ധിയോടെ പറഞ്ഞു പഠിപ്പിച്ച അഞ്ച് വര്‍ഷങ്ങള്‍...

നാല്‍പ്പതാമത് ചെന്നൈ പുസ്തക മേള എനിക്ക് ഒരു തിരിഞ്ഞു നോട്ടമായിരുന്നു... ഞാന്‍ ഏറ്റവും അധികം “മിസ്സ്‌” ചെയ്യുന്ന എന്‍റെ  വായനാശീലത്തിലേക്ക്...  

“ഇഷ്ടംപോലെ വാങ്ങിച്ചോ” എന്ന മാതാപിതാക്കളുടെ വാചകത്തിന്‍റെ പൂര്‍ണ ബലത്തിലാണ് ഞാന്‍ മേളയ്ക്ക് പോയത്. അതിനു താങ്ങായി, “പുസ്തകമല്ലേ, വാങ്ങിച്ചു കൂട്ടിയാലും നഷ്ടമൊന്നുമില്ലല്ലോ” എന്ന് സുഹൃത്തുക്കളും. ഉച്ചയ്ക്ക് രണ്ടരയോടെ മേളയിലെത്തി. എന്നോടൊപ്പം നാല് സുഹൃത്തുക്കളുമുണ്ട്. ‘40th CHENNAI BOOK FAIR’  എന്ന് എഴുതിയ വലിയ കമാനം കണ്ടപ്പോള്‍, ഒരു നീണ്ട ഇടവേളക്കു ശേഷം തമ്മില്‍ കാണുന്ന ഭാര്യാ-ഭര്‍ത്താക്കന്മാരുടെതെന്ന പോലെ എന്‍റെ ഹൃദയമിടിപ്പ്‌ ഉച്ചസ്ഥായിയിലെത്തി. അകത്ത് കാത്തിരിക്കുന്നത് എന്താണെന്നറിയാനുള്ള ആകാംഷയോടെയായിരുന്നു പിന്നത്തെ ഓരോ ചുവടു വെയ്പ്പുകളും. 10 രൂപാ കൊടുത്ത് പ്രവേശന ചീട്ട് വാങ്ങി എത്രയും പെട്ടെന്ന് അകത്തേക്ക് കയറാനുള്ള തിടുക്കമായിരുന്നു. ഉച്ച സൂര്യന്‍ പതിവിലും ചൂടോടെ തലയ്ക്കു മുകളില്‍ കത്തിയമരുമ്പോള്‍ ഉള്ളിലെനിക്കായി കാത്തുവെച്ചിരിക്കുന്നത് എന്താണെന്ന ചിന്തയില്‍ തലയ്ക്കുള്ളിലും ഒരു സൂര്യന്‍ ജ്വലിക്കുന്നുണ്ടായിരുന്നു. ചീട്ട് വാങ്ങി ഞങ്ങള്‍ അഞ്ചു പേരും മുന്‍പോട്ട് നടന്നു.