Narratives Under the Weight of Power

Nayan Raj Pandey’s realistic novels and short stories depict lives marked by poverty and political neglect; Gopilal Acharya draws on journalism, essays, fiction and folklore to write about Bhutanese society, its processes of cultural transformation and the tension between official narratives and lived reality; Uzma Falak’s poetry, essays and films have their roots in Kashmir, where she explores memory, resistance, loss and the consequences of militarisation.

Building on the diverse experiences and approaches of these authors, who will each read from their works, the discussion explores the question of what happens when official narratives about nation, development and progress contradict – or even override – the way in which people perceive and experience their homes in Kashmir, Bhutan and the border regions of Nepal.

How can fiction, poetry and folklore create space for accounts of occupation, marginalisation and cultural change that would otherwise be overlooked or silenced?

In English with simultaneous translation into German