Call for Paper
Dear Sir/Madam,
Greetings!
I invite book chapter/article for publication in the following edited book with ISBN to be published by a well reputed publishing house:
Literature as Resistance: India & Beyond
Concept Note
Writing is essentially a social act. When something appears in a commonly shared language on paper, it enters an impersonal and a social sphere. Writing can contain some kind of ‘personal’ import, but only in a significant framework can the importance and range of terms ‘personal’ and ‘private’ is defined, interpreted and justified within a long time period.
Writers could have many reasons to write but they can either choose to adhere or avoid a certain situation in order to cope with the dynamic state of thoughts and emotions or rather linger around the “gray area” of this situation. There may be neutrality, but there is no space for neutrality with the language used intentionally. In reality, there is no innocent word. Writers have to, willingly or otherwise, stand with or against or question the existential basis of dominant perceptions, narratives, discourses or ideologies of their times. They cannot stay neutral. If they decide to stay silent where they should speak, they implicitly endorse the course of events. As the words of a poet have different connotations and metaphorical dimensions which remain repressed or absent in daily use of language, his or her silence too signifies differently.
Likewise, their conformity to dominant ideologies becomes a highly serious matter that no human society can afford to ignore. Most popular and dominant beliefs, narratives, ideologies and stereotypes emanate from or are closely associated with power structures. So when a writer intends the same, what lies at the heart of the popular stuff, his or her writings serve not only to strengthen the power structures but wrap them up in a sort of ambience where they remain unchallenged. Nothing is more dangerous than stereotypical things that go unquestioned and unchallenged.
Contrary to common belief, writing in itself is not an act of resistance. However, nothing is more illusory than resistance particularly when it comes to be entrenched in literature. At first sight, it appears straightforward and in a sense an easy choice, but in reality it is convoluted and multifaceted in a problematic way. To resist means to refuse loudly, deny openly, and reject publicly all that appears unreasonable and unfair. But literature doesn’t like a louder tone.
In a way, resistance and literature are at daggers drawn. Literature -- and all creative arts -- must possess a kind of magical power that could metamorphose the ‘cry of resistance’ into a ‘whimper’ without vitiating the ‘essence’ of crying.
Resistance takes many forms and employs diverse styles and techniques. One can resist publicly a particular ‘political order’. Some resist against all kinds of ideologies through critically analysing them. Others can resist against all forms of discrimination through speech, tweets and blogs. Still others may oppose extremist ideas by adopting and favouring moderate ideas.
There is another type of resistance which is more subtle and intellectually far more effective: ruthless critical exploration of the basis and essence of dominant ideas, ideologies, values, and concepts which make up the fabric of a society. We can thus divide all forms of resistance into three categories: socially active, critical and interrogative.
For a political resistance, literary resistance is necessary. In rewriting the nation outside the state-centred national discourse, resistance literature constitutes subversive cultural politics. It exposes and subverts traditional knowledge/power, the system that oppresses and legitimises the oppression of the subaltern class. In documenting their condition in the discursive writing, the project of resistance literature aims not at a collection of personal soliloquies but at a collection of the voice of the community that talk back to the oppressive powers of the master narratives.
The oppressed people of the world, namely, Black American Literature or the Aboriginal Literature of Australia, New Zealand, Canada, have of late been collectively termed Fourth World Literature as they share a common premise: Opposition, Protest and Resistance against establishments as power centres. They expose the manner in which “the symbolic foundations of that power and erecting symbolic structures of its own –resistance narrative go further still in analysing the relations of power which sustain the system of domination and exploitation” (Harlow, 85)
In Indian context, like Black Literature, Dalit literature received its first impetus with the advent of leaders like Mahatma Phule and Ambedkar who brought forth the issue of Dalits through their works and writings; this started a new trend in dalit writing and inspired many Dalits to come forth with writings in Marathi, Hindi, Tamil and Punjabi. Thus, Dalit writing was characterised by a new level of pride, militancy, sophisticated creativity and above all sought to use writing as a weapon of resistance.
The rise of feminist literature as an oppositional stance to male dominance and male-centric literature all over the world is also resistance literature. Feminist criticism and literature articulates the dialogic of the oppressed and the subaltern, the woman.
The proposed Edited Book with ISBN, published by a well reputed publishing house, may facilitate the teachers and scholars of English literature to initiate dialogue in this field and will help to explore how different writers of India and beyond used writing as a form of resistance subverting and challenging the fundamental discourses and open opportunities to dialogue and negotiation.
Themes of the Proposed Book, but not limited to:
v Race and Resistance: Cases of African American, Black British and Aboriginal Literatures
v Resistance: Looking through the lens of Class
v Gender and Resistance: Revisiting through Gender lens
v Question of Caste and Resistance
v Revisiting the Subaltern: Dalit Literature and Resistance
v Resistance Literature from the Conflict Zones: Middle East and Africa
v Colonialism and Resistance: Cases of Asia and Africa
v Religious Orthodoxy and Resistance
v Political Conflict and Resistance
v Dominant State Apparatus and Resistance
v Arms Conflict in Northeast India and the Literature of Resistance
v Dominant Ideologies and Resistance
Submission Guidelines:
The papers must be genuinely ORIGINAL. MLA Style sheet 8th Edition is to be followed in citation/referencing
· Papers need to be restricted to less than 15 pages (ideal size 12 to 14 pages).
· A 4 size, 12 pt size, MS Word, Times New Roman font, 1.5 line space.
· Authors need to submit their papers in the following manner
Ø Title of the paper
Ø Author/Authors’ name, designation, institution, e-mail, mobile no.
Ø Abstract (Not more than 200 words)
Ø Keywords
Ø Introduction.
Ø Body of the paper
Ø Conclusion
Ø References/Bibliography
Please send your article to the email id: jeutitalukdar_tihu@rediffmail.com as an attachment in Microsoft Word document.
Submission Deadline: 30th November, 2021
BOOK FORMAT: Hard Bound (B5 SIZE)
About the Editor:
Dr. Jeuti Talukdar did her MA in English from Gauhati University and Ph D from Assam University (a Central University) on the novels of Shashi Deshpande. At present she is working as an Associate Professor in English, Tihu College, Assam. She has published widely in International Journals and Edited volumes. She is also the Coordinator of the IQAC, Tihu College and has successfully conducted many International/National level Seminar/Webinar on multiple themes.
