Creative writing is born out of excruciating pain for some, while for others creation itself is simply celebration and pleasure. At the two-day national meet of women writers in Ahmedabad, experts and authors discussed enriching varieties of textures of women’s writings and paradoxes of processes that prompt women in to pursuing writings.
The meet organised by Gujarat University and Delhi Sahitya Academy at Gujarat Vishvakosh Bhavan brought 25 eminent women authors on a single platform. Shobha De, Esther David, Tusi Badrinath, Mira Srinivas, Tejdeep Menon, Santhini Govindan were present at the event.
David launched three books Vanman Vendetta, Sangati Events, Karukku by a Tamil writer Faustina Soosairaj who writes by the pen name Bama at the event. Bama is an undaunted voice of the voiceless – Dalit women.
Speaking at the event Shobha De, whose novels Socialite Evenings, Starry Nights, Sultry Days, and Second Thoughts part of course curriculum of the University of London, said, “Women’s writings have an enriching variety of intense experiences. Bama’s life has been defined by pain, rejection, exclusion and discrimination and has raw anger in her writings. While in my case I write because words enchant me. My writings are born of celebration of life – that is journey of being born into privilege.”
At the session ‘Does gender matter in creative writing’, Dr. Ranjana Harish, head of department, school of languages, Gujarat University, said, ” ‘The difference of texture of Women’s Writings proves that is does. Women write in circular patterns and often have spiral structures in their creations.”
Tamal Dalit writer Faustina Soosairaj (Bama), said, “Before I pursued writing I was like a wounded bird in a cage, today, after being an established writer I am like a falcon flying high. I chose to write to break through the system without breaking down.” As a debutant writer, Bama was fiercely criticised and excluded by her own people for sharing the facts of discrimination in her novels. Later a young boy named Arual read out her works to Bama’s village folks and explained the core of her writings which helped Bama re-claim her respect and love from her community.
