Taking a book break in Kolkata

KOLKATA: When the rest of us were gasping for breath in the sweltering heat of Kolkata's summer, here was someone, happily threading his way through the city's alleys, soaking in its sights, smell and sound, which he will weave into his writings. He seemed equally at ease when the rains came, flooding the roads, and slush covered every surface. Saikat Majumdar spent a happy interlude in the city he loves the most, taking a break from writing his third novel and from setting up the creative writing faculty at Ashoka University, Delhi.
Despite being away from Kolkata for a while, Majumdar loves to call himself a "city boy", a claim pretty evident from the fact that all his novels are set here. "I feel rooted here... an inexplicable emotional connect that compels me to explore and invariably stumble upon so much that still remains unknown..." he said.
Majumdar studied at Ramakrishna Mission Vidyalaya, Narendrapur, till Class X, St Xavier's Collegiate School till Class XII, completed his graduation from St Xavier's College in English literature and then went to Jadavpur University for his masters. Subsequently, he left for the US for higher studies and became the first Bengali to teach English literature at Stanford University. Around the same time, his first novel, 'Silverfish', a story set in communist Kolkata, was published. The second, Fire Bird, is set on the stages of Kolkata and the third, now in the making, is about two boys in love at a boarding school, run by a monastic order in Kolkata, and they themselves becoming monks.
Majumdar has now become the director of creative writing at Ashoka University, designing a new concept in a formal educational framework in India. "We introduced creative writing as a minor programme in the English literature honours course at the under-graduation level. Now, we will offer fellowships for creative writing to encourage young writers. India has a rare talent pool in Indian-English writing and with a bit of guidance, many can grow into world-class writers," he said.
Under-graduation, masters and fellowship programmes in creative writing are popular at US and UK universities. "Many books are products of these programmes there. In India, too, a liberal arts revolution is on and we need to channelize it..." Majumdar said, pointing out the craze for engineering was on the wane. "Now is the time to encourage the young to study liberal arts because that is where the future lies." Majumdar, who often visited JU as a guest lecturer, felt Kolkata had some of the best English literature students in India who could make a career out of creative writing or liberal arts.