Sahitya Akademy awardee novelist Bindu Bhatt read out Mangal Sutra – a short story highlighting positivism of women’s bonding at Coffee Mate’s third session on March 3
Spreading out a social message creatively is art of select few writers and Sahitya Akademi awardee novelist Dr Bindu Bhatt is one of them. Celebrating the International Women’s Day falling on March 8, Gujarati novelist Bindu Bhatt spoke on women empowerment and creative process at Coffee Mate’s third literary session on March 3 at Sahitya Parishad Hall.
Bhatt read out Mangal Sutra – a short story from Bandhani – a collection of 10 short stories highlighting positivism of women’s bonding at the programme. Bhatt was the third speaker invited at the lecture series that began in January with Madhu Rai and featured poet Rajendra Shukla in February. Bhatt’s novels are centred on female protagonists.
Harshad Trivedi of Gujarati Sahitya Akademy, who introduced Bhatt at the event, said, “Bhatt’s creative writings have foundation of feminism in different sense. Her writings celebrate the positivism of female bonding. Her novels advocate that women can actually understand the sufferings and one woman can rightly assist the other one from being victim of the patriarchal system.”
Bhatt, head and associate professor at department of Hindi at Uma Arts & Nathiba commerce Mahila College, Gandhinagar has been teaching at graduate level since last 29 years. She has authored more than 10 publications. Prime creative art works of Bhatt are Mira Yajnik-ni-Diary (a novelette in Gujarati), Akhepatar (novel in Gujarati) and Bandhani (a collection of 10 short stories).
Aruna Mehta, co-ordinator of the local chapter of Coffee Mates, said, “Bhatt’s lecture was enlightening. The programme was attended by about 100 listeners. And it was promising to have young listeners at the lecture series.”
Along with Avinash Parekh, a team of ten Gujarati literature lovers started a small club Coffee Mates in Mumbai in 2000. The club has hosted more than 150 conversational sessions at M K High School in borivali inviting noted poets and authors of Gujarati language. “The aim is to rekindle the interest of young and new readers in literature,” said Mehta. The third session of Coffee Mates in city will be on April 7 with noted writer Chinu Modi.
