The Tales Pensieve

The year 2012 is special for literature enthusiasts, because it reminds one of two literary giants – Charles Dickens and Saadat Hassan Manto – for somewhat similar reasons. This happens to be the year celebrating the bicentenary of Charles Dickens, the prolific 19th century author, whose importance in literary circles can hardly be over stated. This also is the year when Saadat Hassan Manto, the controversial yet widely read Urdu writer, would’ve celebrated his 100th birthday if he were alive.The English Literary Association of Jamia Millia Islamia is attempting to bring together the two master storytellers in a fest dedicated to celebrating their genius. The Pickwick Fest, scheduled to take place on the 15th, 16th and 17th of October, 2012 is an endeavour by literature enthusiasts of Jamia to provide a meeting ground for authors, publishers, academics and book lovers from across Delhi to come and share their thoughts on these great figures and also to learn and acquire deep insights into the life of each.

The festival will not only be rich in academic flavor, but will also be a competitive arena for students to display their skills in various fields. Theatre, writing, painting, elocution, quiz, GD, paper presentation – an exhaustive set of competitions are being organized in this fest for encouraging students to delve deeper into the lives to Dickens and Manto and share with a larger crowd their understanding of them.

To make the festival an even more interesting event, many famous figures – authors, academics and journalists – have been invited to judge and preside over various events. Authors Amandeep Sandhu, Nilanjana Roy, Palash Krishna Mehrotra and Namita Gokhale are only few of the prominent names who will figure in the list of dignitaries who will be a part of the fest. It is a matter of great pride that honorable Vice-Chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia, Mr. Najeeb Jung himself will be there to declare the festival open and to share with students some inspiring words. At the end of three days of critical engagement with both Dickens and Manto, this festival hopes that it will do justice to the memory and stature of these masters whose works form an indispensable part of the body of all-time greatest literary works.

If you are in Delhi, then do go over and be a part of this literary extravaganza, coming your way next week!

For more details please contact my fellow book lover , one of the organizers of this wonderful fest.