Under the Bakibab Borkar Chair of Comparative Literature launched by Goa University recently, two renowned poets are scheduled to conduct courses and deliver lectures in the month of August 2013. All lovers of poetry, including students and teachers will find a splendid opportunity to interact with Ashok Vajpeyi , renowned Hindi poet, and Jeet Thayil, performance poet, at Goa University soon. Ashok Vajpyei’s course on Comparative Literature is designed to create a deeper sense of how poetry written in different languages and locations and in different cultures, can be appreciated by sensitive minds. Participants need to know either Hindi or English. Jeet Thayil, author of the novel Narcopolis and several volumes of poetry, will speak on ‘How to Read a Poem’. His workshops will help budding poets discuss their own work. These are credit courses for Postgraduate students (register online!) and are also open to the general public.
Do you have to be a student to meet these exciting visitors? No. Do you have to pay high fees? No, there is no fee. Do you have to travel far? No, just to the Taleigao Plateau.
Additional colourful sessions are open to all who love ‘a thing of beauty’:
Saturday, 10th August, a conversation on music and poetry, with Jeet Thayil, Peformance Poet, and Professor Santiago Lusard Girelli, currently the Anthony Gonsalves Visiting Chair for Western Music at Goa University, from the Music Faculty of the University of Seville ( Goa University, 11 am)
Saturday 17th August, Poet Jeet Thayil in conversation with Suniti Namjoshi, poet, fabulist and children’s writer ( Literati, Calangute, 5.30 pm)
Friday, 23rd August, lecture on ‘Why Literature’ by Ashok Vajpeyi (in English), (Goa University, 5 pm.)
Saturday 24th August Joint Reading and Discussion, with poets Ashok Vajpeyi and Manohar Shetty at Goa University (11 am to 1 pm)
Wednesday, 28th August, lecture on ‘Kabir and Ghalib: Apani Apani Aag’ (Goa University, 5 pm).