The Hindu : Front Page : ‘Asia Literary Review glories in eclecticism’

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‘Asia Literary Review glories in eclecticism’

Special Correspondent

The Winter 2008 issue features an interview of Aravind Adiga

— Photo: K. Pichumani

Editor-in-Chief of The Hindu N. Ram accepts a copy of the Asia Literary Review’s latest edition from its Editor Chris Wood in Chennai on Monday. The former Editor of Granta, Ian Jack, is at centre.

CHENNAI: The India launch of the Winter 2008 issue of the Asia Literary Review was hosted by the Landmark bookstore in Chennai on Monday. The new issue features a short interview of Booker Prize winner Aravind Adiga among pieces of fiction, poetry, travel writing, documentary art and a personal memoir, by writers from places as far flung as Hong Kong, Pakistan and the Philippines.

“It glories in eclecticism,” said The Hindu’s Editor-in-Chief N. Ram, accepting a copy of the magazine from its Editor Chris Wood in the Landmark store. Such a magazine could “sail against the current” without worrying about immediately pleasing a customer, he said.

“What are literary magazines of this sort for? Certainly not to make money,” said Ian Jack, former editor of Granta, Britain’s premier literary journal, in whose footsteps the Asia Literary Review (ALR) aims to follow. “What [Granta] achieved was the cross-fertilisation of different kinds of writing,” he said, giving the example of the introduction of new American writers to readers from across the Atlantic.

The other purpose of Granta, which Mr. Jack hopes will be achieved by the ALR as well, was to promote a new type of non-fiction. “Memoirs, travel writing, reportage … They came to be seen as perfectly good literary forms, with the same status as the novel, short story, poem or play,” he said, adding that such works could introduce the “writing of enquiry” to societies that badly needed it.

The magazine also hoped to offer a new home for the best of Asian writing in English, unearth new writers and introduce them to international readers, said Mr. Wood. “Asia now has the fastest growing population of English readers in the world. And these new readers, from Beijing to Bangkok, are not satisfied with London thrillers and New York love stories,” he said, explaining the need for an Asian voice.

It is not always easy finding these writers, he admitted. “In Hong Kong, for example, good Chinese writers, as soon as they’re successful, they go and live in New York,” said Mr. Wood, explaining why the magazine has a number of non-resident Asian writers and even western authors writing about Asia.

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