Addressing the broad theme of independence, Wales based Literature Across Frontiers is working with a range of festivals, writers, publishers and translators across India and Wales to develop a series of collaborative exchange residencies, live performances and workshops with young people.
Ten poets from India and Wales will take part in a project focused on the theme of independence to mark the 70 anniversary of India’s independence. The poets will collaborate to create new work during a series of residencies in both countries throughout 2017, taking the poets from the hustle and bustle of Indian metropolises to the peace and quiet of Welsh towns and villages, and from one end of each country to the other.
During the residencies, the project will explore the ways in which ‘independence’ might also demand recognition of ‘co-dependence’ and of collaboration and dialogue across seemingly vast divides. The poets will work in duo’s with the host poet programming a series of public events.
The project held a Literary Mela at the Hay Festival 2017, a series of public events in Wales and will continue to showcase the work produced in a series of performances, readings and discussions during the 2018 winter literary festival season in India when a multilingual publication with work written by the poets in Bengali, Kannada, Khasi, Malayalam, English and Welsh will be launched.
This project is part of India Wales, a joint initiative between Wales Arts International and the British Council that supports artistic collaboration and exchange between creative professionals and arts organisations in Wales and India. Find out more about India Wales