When Women Write
When women write are they expected to limit themselves to agony aunt columns, beauty tips, rabid rantings or go ballistic and then fizzle out.
If that is the commonly expressed opinion about the woman's preferences, it's time to sit up and think again! At least in small pockets focussed work is being done and one such is the publishing venture Women's Imprint. The third book has just been released, yesterday-10th June at a low key event. (The first two were Recollections of Capt Lakshmi and theatre-film actor Nilambur Ayesha.)
Concerns that are often expressed when we speak of the marginalised were voiced by the speakers and the people behind the book. Visibility, space, language and vocabulary being some of the topics.
The ed volume 'Aanarusude naattil'( Ed by J Devika) is serious work and not some collection put together to join the publishing bandwagon in a marketplace that relies heavily on hype.
Feminist Studies, Feminism and the more umbrella term Women's Studies continues to be the domain of the academia b'cos the average reader in Kerala is hooked on to books that frequently hog the limelight in the Media and literary circles. And, except for a handful who are able to observe the dynamics of social change, put it in appropriate perspective and work on theoretical framework, the readership will be limited to those who frequent(?!?) library shelves of Gender Studies departments.
Mention has been made of studies generated outside the state on Kerala. Well, beyond the boundaries of the state when you are able to look at the home state as an Indian, and of course compare it with the best and worst states/sub-cultures in the country, the work is more objective and might nudge the complacent researcher within the state to take on a new pair of looking glasses.
What Kerala's W&C segment faces according to bureaucratic jargon is the 'second stage' problems which is yet to affect the others. This applies to Women's Studies too.
Having just flipped thru some pages of the this book by WI it would be too premature to comment, but the contents must generate discussions in public spaces to make a beginning by subliminally reaching some minds at least.
If that is the commonly expressed opinion about the woman's preferences, it's time to sit up and think again! At least in small pockets focussed work is being done and one such is the publishing venture Women's Imprint. The third book has just been released, yesterday-10th June at a low key event. (The first two were Recollections of Capt Lakshmi and theatre-film actor Nilambur Ayesha.)
Concerns that are often expressed when we speak of the marginalised were voiced by the speakers and the people behind the book. Visibility, space, language and vocabulary being some of the topics.
The ed volume 'Aanarusude naattil'( Ed by J Devika) is serious work and not some collection put together to join the publishing bandwagon in a marketplace that relies heavily on hype.
Feminist Studies, Feminism and the more umbrella term Women's Studies continues to be the domain of the academia b'cos the average reader in Kerala is hooked on to books that frequently hog the limelight in the Media and literary circles. And, except for a handful who are able to observe the dynamics of social change, put it in appropriate perspective and work on theoretical framework, the readership will be limited to those who frequent(?!?) library shelves of Gender Studies departments.
Mention has been made of studies generated outside the state on Kerala. Well, beyond the boundaries of the state when you are able to look at the home state as an Indian, and of course compare it with the best and worst states/sub-cultures in the country, the work is more objective and might nudge the complacent researcher within the state to take on a new pair of looking glasses.
What Kerala's W&C segment faces according to bureaucratic jargon is the 'second stage' problems which is yet to affect the others. This applies to Women's Studies too.
Having just flipped thru some pages of the this book by WI it would be too premature to comment, but the contents must generate discussions in public spaces to make a beginning by subliminally reaching some minds at least.
posted by Bhawani Cheerath & Suneetha T V at
10:04 PM
3 Comments:
I think this is a powerful initiative. Best of luck :)
This is excellent! About time that women really spoke up. Good luck!
it is time that we had a publishing house of our own-so WI is a great idea. maybe it should bring out feminist critiques of our male icons be it in lit. or films.
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