Diasporic Musings!

 “Nothing revives the past so completely as a smell that was once associated with it” says, the renowned Russian- American novelist, Vladimir Nabokov.

Literature, being a product of culture becomes the source by which we come to know about the global scenario. Being a product of culture, it becomes the source by which we would come to know about the global scenario, multiculturalism and acts as a channel to enhance the bonds between various nations all over the world. In the contemporary era of globalisation, scientific and technological advancements, Indian writing in English is gaining momentum and numerous branches have emerged hitherto. The term diaspora has attained a place in the active vocabulary of multitudes as it is extensively used in the media, popular parlance as well as in scholarly literature.Diaspora studies linger over alienation, loneliness, rootlessness, homelessness,nostalgia, protest, assertions, search for identity, sense of acculturation, mobility and the in-between thrishanku like existence. 

Diaspora Indians on foreign land express themselves best through creation of literature. The avalanche of creative outpourings have traversed the borders and a galaxy of writers has seen, felt and sensed the ethos of a disapora. Jaishree Misra is one eminent Indian novelist who rose to fame with her debut as well as her semi-autobiographical novel, Ancient Promises. Born in 1961 in a Malayali family in New Delhi, Jaishree Misra has lived the life of a diaspora and her characters do reflect those sensibilities. She holds a Master’s degree in English Literature from Kerala University, and two Post Graduate diplomas. Her notable works are Accidents like Love and Marriage, Afterwards, Rani, Secret and Lies, Secret and Sins, A Scandalous Secret, and A House for Mr. Misra.

Here's Jaishree Misra in an online conversation with our interviewer, Dr. Aparna Ajith

To read my full interview, click https://prd.kerala.gov.in/publications