LIFE
Fellowship of writers
RANJINI RAO
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Shakespeare & Company aims to foster not only good writing, but also goodwill among its members.
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It's primarily about writing, and having fun doing so.
Love for the language: KVK Murthy
IN a world that's shrinking faster than you think, the Internet has turned into a hub for sharing worlds and words, among other things. No, not just via email, or instant messengers, but through the remarkable faculty of networking, the latest trend in this progressing arena of technology.
With the proliferation of online networks, a new genus is gaining impetus — nexuses that cater to specific creative pursuits, like writing. A fine example is a network that incessantly aims to foster not only good writing, but also goodwill among its members. Initiated and nurtured by two Indians (Pragya Thakur and KVK Murthy, who sit miles away from each other), this year-old, cosmopolitan network of 500-plus members is part of the popular business-networking portal, "Ryze". What's even more interesting is that Pragya is a finance professional working in the magazine publishing industry in the U.S., and Murthy is a banker in Bangalore. Bound by a common love for the English language, this endeavour is, in many ways, a significant step in the direction of their own personal advancement as writers.
How it began
According to Murthy, it all started as a hazy nebulous idea sometime in early 2005, between Pragya and him. "It was inspired by nothing more than a desire to be slightly different from the typical. The name came to me one night, when I was reading something, and I suddenly thought about James Joyce and Paris. One thing led to another, and I thought there couldn't be a better name for a literary group than Shakespeare & Company," he says.
As a network that claims to be brazenly old school, Shakespeare & Company is not just about serious writing. It is also a concourse for fun and frolic, with writing themes, and teasers that keep the members wired together and fired up. Pragya says, "We believe in spontaneous fun, and self-deprecation is a regular part of our literary diets. We love spoofing our own behaviour, and poking fun at each other. One of our most cherished themes was one where we went overboard trying to copy each other's styles. We've also had other equally outrageous assignments — like making an elegantly stated case to be declared the worst writer on the board, or writing scathing book reviews for imaginary books written by our own members."
Love for the language: Pragya Thakur.
Further, Pragya and Murthy aver that theirs is more than a writers' network — it is a consortium of like-minded people, who are distinct not just in their affinity for reading and writing, but also in the concern, care and respect they show each other, every day. Geographical precincts notwithstanding, they stay in touch through regular messaging, e-mails, and on occasion, tele-conferences. Pragya says, "Most of the idea generation happens during these sessions. I feel closer to many of the members than I do to my next-door neighbours. And for all of us, just logging in every morning engenders feelings of comfort and warmth akin to settling in by a fireplace with a warm cup of cocoa."
What it's about
So what is Shakespeare & Company actually about? Well, it's primarily about writing, and having fun doing so. Even though Pragya and Murthy "moderate" the forum's activities, and on occasion, provide a nudge if things get too static, Shakespeare & Company is really self-sustaining. Members are free to post their work, get feedback, post feedback, and partake in weekly, and monthly themes, apart from contributing to special features, like "Book Reviews", "Letters from my Town", and so forth. The network has amassed a notable collection of these special features, including "Serialized Works (Fiction)", a "Muse's Gallery", of weekly themes, and would definitely consider prospects of getting them published.
Murthy says, "The `Letters From My Town,' feature was actually inspired by Alistair Cooke's famous `Letter from America,' which used to be featured on BBC Radio, years ago."
With a selected-works repertoire on its blog (http://shakespeareandco.blogspot.com), the network is currently in the process of acquiring its own website, with a format that will possibly mirror that of highly acclaimed literary journals. Members in London, Chicago, Washington DC, New York, Bangalore, and Delhi have had personal interactions in the recent months, and members in Chennai and Mumbai will soon follow suit.
According to Murthy, "The membership is a fairly mixed cross section, with many fine writers, some acclaimed too. Congregations are a regular feature in Bangalore now — we've had five or six so far, and intend to make them a monthly calendar event soon. A Manila chapter is also likely to unfold shortly."
Being over 3,000 miles away from most of the members, Pragya has personally met about 50 of them on her visits to different places across the globe, and a "global" meeting is a cherished dream, as she likes to put it. Well, as dreams are said and wont to, this could just be one of those that come true.
For further details, contact Pragya or KVK Murthy at: shakespeareandco@gmail.com
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