This
reading was a double occasion, first, to read from the novel by
Richard Flanagan, and second, to celebrate the tenth anniversary of
our reading group's founding. The event was held in the new home of
our dear hostess for the day and faithful member, Priya. Here is a
picture of the eats that followed the reading:
The
leading spirits at the beginning were Paul George ('Bobby') at whose
bookshop, Just Fiction, the sessions used to be held; Indira Outcalt
whose enthusiasm for literature kept it going with the participation
of several keen Kochi readers of English literature; and the late
Manjoo Menon, grand seigneur of matters cultural in Kochi, whose
legacy lives on through the good works he started. Here is a news
item from The Hindu newspaper about the early origins of the
group by our own Priya:
Priya expressed her desire to 'be a part of this wonderful group' in a note
she wrote to Joe on June 21, 2007, saying how excited she was from talking to the members. Later I wrote to her:
KRG is just a way to enjoy
Litt with other folk who also enjoy; and to benefit from the
enthusiasm others show when they come well-prepared. I added the
'diligent reader exercises' only so we could have fun by attempting
something that stretches us (me too), and thus builds a few literary
muscles we may never otherwise have known we had.
A
rationale for our reading group is contained in an essay I wrote for
Reading Week in June 2007 and sent to Priya (but never
published):
When you read you think,
when you think you derive your own illumination, and when you express
it, you have the pleasure of your communication added to the writer's
work, as a tribute.
We
concluded the meeting with the hope the group will continue even though the
composition must needs change over time. By recording the events in the
blog we will capture our thoughts so they do not go poof! into the
air and be forgotten, but will live as a reference for the future.
And when the time comes Joe will give up authorship of the KRG blog to
another willing soul!
The Tenth Anniversary group
