The Neustadt Festival Kicks Off Tomorrow
“If time were a bolt of cloth,” said Om, “I would cut out all the bad parts. Snip out the scary nights and stitch together the good parts, to make time bearable. Then I could wear it like a coat, always live happily.”
― Rohinton Mistry, A Fine Balance
Indian-Canadian novelist Rohinton Mistry creates unforgettable characters and vast social panoramas that are often compared to the style and grandeur of Charles Dickens and Victor Hugo. As the winner of 2012 Neustadt International Prize for Literature, Mistry joins an impressive cast of past Neustadt Prize laureates and he will be at the University of Oklahoma this week for the 2012 Neustadt Festival of International Literature and Culture.
The festival opens tomorrow and is a four-day celebration of India and the works of Mistry. Following is a few of the featured events. To see the full schedule visit neustadtfestival.org where you can obtain maps, get information on parking accommodations, and add the events straight to your calendar.
Featured Events
TUESDAY, September 25th
Opening Night
Norman Depot 7:30-9 p.m.
The festivities begin with a special night of performances and readings, featuring dancers from the OU India Student Association, and a cast of some of Oklahoma's most notable poets: Dorothy Alexander, Joey Brown, Nathan Brown, Ken Hada, Carol Hamilton, and Benjamin Myers.
WEDNESDAY, September 26th
Documentary Film Screening, This is a Music: Reclaiming an Untouchable Drum
Pitman Hall, Catlett Music Center 6 p.m.
A special documentary film screening for This is Music: Reclaiming an Untouchable Drum, directed by Zoe Sherinian.
THURSDAY, September 27th
Mistry’s India — Social, Historical, and Political Contexts
Meacham Auditorium, Oklahoma Memorial Union 10-10:50 a.m.
A roundtable discussion featuring Susan Andrade, Sudha Bhuchar, and Emily Rook-Koepsel.
Mistry’s India — Literary and Cultural Contexts
Meacham Auditorium, Oklahoma Memorial Union 11:30 a.m.- 12:30 p.m.
A roundtable discussion featuring Beena Kamlani, Vijay Seshadri, and Samrat Upadhyay.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 28th
OU School of Drama presents scenes from Tamasha’s adaptation of A Fine Balance
Molly Shi Boren Ballroom, Oklahoma Memorial Union 10:30 a.m.
Adapted by Sudha Bhuchar and Kristine Landon-Smith from the novel by Rohinton Mistry, more on Tamasha's adaptation on their websitewww.tamasha.org.uk.
Directed by Judith Pender.
Neustadt Prize Keynote: Rohinton Mistry
Molly Shi Boren Ballroom 11:15-12:15 p.m.
Along with many short stories, Mistry is the author of four novels: Such a Long Journey (1991), A Fine Balance (1996), and Family Matters (2002).
