Literary Celebrities of N.E.India

2017

Discourses on authorship have constantly evolved throughout the last few centuries; one of the most notable yet contentious developments in authorship is the author's involvement in celebrity culture. While the Medieval conception of authorship saw the author as a craftsman, the period of Romanticism singled out the author as a distinctive individual of original genius, and the 'author as celebrity' concept began gaining momentum. This trend extended well into the nineteenth, twentieth, and twenty-first centuries, and authors remain celebrated figures in contemporary society. Much work has been dedicated to the conception of authorship, as well as to the field of celebrity studies. Yet authorship studies and celebrity studies have, in recent years, merged, giving the figure of the author a renewed sense of importance. 'Literary celebrity' as a discipline has therefore been the focus of a number of useful and insightful studies, notably in the works of Joe Moran, Loren Glass, Lorraine York, and Leo Braudy. Yet the specific study of literary celebrity from an extensive historical perspective has been relatively undeveloped. An historical analysis is needed in order to contextualise the celebrity author's place and status in the contemporary mediasphere. This thesis adds to the existing body of work on literary celebrity, addressing a gap in research on the topic by providing an historical background to the celebrity author. In charting the development of the celebrity author from the eighteenth to the twenty-first century, my research shows that distinctly Romantic conceptions of authorship have persisted into contemporary society. This is the first work to examine and present an extensive account of literary celebrity from its historical origins to twenty-first century media. In so doing, this thesis illustrates how arguments and assumptions surrounding literary celebrity have been steadily maintained. As a result, literary celebrity remains an important, intriguing topic of discussion, prompting renewed debates relating to modernised conceptions of authorship, writing, reading, popularity, and culture. My research examines the continued importance of celebrity authors in light of their long history. iii Declaration I certify that this work has not been submitted for a higher degree to any other university or institution. The work herein is entirely my own, except where acknowledged.

Southeast Asian Review of English , 2021

In recent times, the study of film stardom has grown exponentially, emerging as a field that engages critically with film and popular culture. Stardom in the twenty-first century, in both Hollywood and Bollywood, is converging more than ever, directing our attention to an increasingly global audience. In the Indian context, recent scholarship has looked at film stardom from historical, sociological, and ideological perspectives.....

Indian Literature and the World, 2017

The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use.

2005

Celebrity Studies, 2014

The ongoing celebritisation of society not only comprises 'celebrity sectors' such as entertainment and sports, but also literature. As in other cultural fields, the commodities to be sold-books-are marketed using the 'personalities' directly connected to them by authors appearing on television shows or being selected for feature articles. The aim of the article is to point out limitations to the theoretical framework used in the study of literary celebrity. We argue for a differentiation in the use of the concept of celebrity in literary studies in three respects. Firstly, there should be a differentiation regarding author's cultural capital. In contrast to the general tendency in celebrity studies to focus on popular culture, in literary studies the application of the theory has been limited to the most prestigious areas of the literary field. Consequently, a broadening of the perspective is necessary: authors of trade fiction may be conceived of as literary celebrities too. Secondly, there is a need for geographical differentiation, since the scope of influence of literary celebrities may vary significantly. Thirdly, we will argue for a diachronic differentiation that takes into account the changing functions and uses of a celebrity author over time. The main example, the Swedish novelist Selma 2 Lagerlöf, shows the necessity of a stronger focus on the functions of literary celebrities, for instance in the construction of cultural and national identities. Furthermore, celebrity is important for a more comprehensive literary history and for the complex concept of literary value.

International Journal of English: Literature, Language & SkillsLiterature, Language , 2019

As we know, England is not the only place in the world where literature in English language is produced. India happens to be the third largest producer of books in English. Indians' contribution to English literature is significant considering the fact that post-1980 Salman Rushdie phenomenon; hundreds of writers have written novels in English. Quite a few of them have won awards at the international level. My paper classifies the themes of 327 novels written after 2000AD by Indian authors, residing in or out of India, and apart from underlining the issues taken up by these writers' deals in detail with three works by different authors, covering three important dimensions of Indian society, viz., youth, family and Diaspora.

2018

Mahatma Gandhi is a predominant character in Indo-Anglian fiction devoted to politics and struggle for independence. The Gandhian ideology was a potent force behind India"s national upsurge. So no Indian English novelist writing during this period could avoid the impact of Gandhian ideology. In fact Gandhi became a recurring presence in the novels of the period. Indian English literature really took a new direction under his impact in matters of subject matter and style. Under the influence of Mahatma the Indian writers turned from romanticism to realism. The "Big Three" of the Indian English novel---MulkRaj Anand, R.K.Narayan and Raja Rao---- besides other novelists turned to social realities of their time and carved man"s image in their art. Now, Gandhi has been presented in the novels of the The "Big Three" of the Indian English novel sometimes as a character talking with other characters and sometimes through his ideology. So Gandhi as a major figur...

In India, especially, literary celebrity is created inorganically, even ‘Brahminically’ (Gramsci 1971 Gramsci, A., 1971. Selections from the prison notebooks. Edited and translated by Q. Hoare and G. Nowell Smith. London: Electric Book Company. 1999. Transcribed from the edition published by Lawrence & Wishart 1971 Available at: http://www.abstract.xlibx.info/as-political/3076681-1-the-electric-book-company-ltd-cambridge-drive-london-se12-8aj-w.php ). The privilege of being able to write in English, or the privilege of having your work translated into English thrusts you into global public consciousness. The space created by western liberalism that urges global audiences to ‘listen’ to Third-World voices becomes occupied by privileged groups within the social structures of commonwealth nations. English becomes a weapon of extended imperialism and the only language of literary celebrity. To overcome this barrier, industry professionals and readers must develop more egalitarian platforms that break through the blockages of privilege. Digital technology is showing signs of breaking the hold of the privileged few in Indian publishing who are gatekeepers of literary celebrity. The Round Table India website has published some of the most important articles and essays from over 300 writers who might otherwise not have been heard. It published its first book, Hatred in the Belly: Politics Behind the Appropriation of Dr Ambedkar’s Writings, in 2015 Ambedkar Age Collective, 2015. Hatred in the belly: politics behind the appropriation of Dr. Ambedkar's writings. The Shared Mirror Publishing House. . The volume is a collection of articles by 38 contributors, consisting of writers, activists, academics and anti-caste groups, critiquing the 2014 Roy A., 2014. `Doctor and the Saint' essay in annihilation of caste: the annotated critical edition. Navayana. republication of Dr Ambedkar’s ‘Annihilation of Caste’ (1936 Ambedkar B.R., 1936. Annihilation of caste [online]. Available from: http://ccnmtl.columbia.edu/projects/mmt/ambedkar/ ), whose publishers controversially placed a long introduction ‘Doctor and the Saint’, by the celebrity author Arundhati Roy before Ambedkar’s text. The group Dalit Camera also addresses diverse narratives not covered in the mainstream media by producing recordings of oral storytelling and hosting an Internet channel. Round Table India has also launched Hindi and Kannada portals, through which translations spread discourse into different language cultures.

Studies in Media and Communication

IntroductionIndian Literature with its multiplicity of languages and the plurality of cultures dates back to 3000 years ago, comprising Vedas, Upanishads, Puranas and Epics like Ramayana and Mahabharata. India has a strong literary tradition in various Indian regional languages like Sanskrit, Prakrit, Pali, Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Oriya, Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam and so on. Indian writers share oral tradition, indigenous experiences and reflect on the history, culture and society in regional languages as well as in English. The first Indian novel in English is Bankim Chandra Chatterjee’s Rajmohan’s Wife (1864). Indian Writing in English can be viewed in three phases - Imitative, First and Second poets’ phases. The 20th century marks the matrix of indigenous novels. The novels such as Mulk Raj Anand’s Untouchable (1935), Anita Nair’s Ladies Coupé (2001), and Khuswant Singh’s Memories of Madness: Stories of 1947 (2002) depict social issues, vices and crises (discrimination, i...

Indian Literatures at a Glance, 2019

This research document provides insights into the literatures of the Indian sub-continent and some of the most notable scribes. The specific topics include: an overview of the Indian literary scene, 'book cafes', academia and literary criticism, international impact, famous scribes, journals, languages and translation.