The third South Asian Literature Festival opens on 1 November with a weekend of events at the Bush Theatre in London.
Running over 11 days in over 50 venues across the capital the Festival celebrates the language, culture and literary heritage of South Asia with contributions from over 80 novelists, journalists, performers and writers from across the continents.
Amongst the events will be screenings of the Shakespeare’s Globe Taming of the Shrew in Urdu and Twelfth Night in Hindi, as well as a discussion on the influence of Sanskrit Epics on the Bard and his work's impact on Bollywood storywriters. Globe Festival Director Tom Bird will join others to talk about the challenges of staging Shakespeare in South Asian settings.
Other topics for discussions include media ethics in South Asia and the often-fraught task faced by non-Indians writing about India. A further highlight of the literary arm of the Festival marks the centenary of Urdu writer Saadat Hassan Manto whose chronicling of the partition of India has proved such an influence on today's novelists.
Another significant anniversary is commemorated during the Festival—the 1972 expulsion of Asians from Uganda by Idi Amin. This half-day symposium also launches Exiles a major new oral-history project to record experiences of the Ugandan-Asian community.
Live performance events include stand-up from Broadcaster Sarfraz Manzoor and cookery demonstrations. The British Library hosts an exhibition Mughal India and the Mughal Palace-inspired closing which promises music, performance and spectacle.
The full programme can be found online at http://southasianlitfest.com