Articles by Chintan Girish Modi
Abed Elrazeg Abu Jazer: “Literature an essential part of our freedom movement”
The Chargé d’Affaires of the Palestine embassy spoke about reputed international cultural institutions being afraid of platforming Palestinian voices.
Updated on Feb 03, 2025 03:41 PM IST
Jasmine Shah – “AAP is the only party that has initiatives to tackle pollution”
At the Kerala Literature Festival in Kozhikode earlier month, the Aam Aadmi Party leader and author of ‘The Delhi Model’ spoke about prioritizing human capital
Published on Jan 31, 2025 05:30 AM IST
Elli Miller Maboungou: “Sometimes, drums speak for themselves”
The percussionist and composer on his Congolese and Jewish American heritage, and navigating the financial instability of an artistic career
Published on Jan 21, 2025 03:22 PM IST
Thao Lam – “There is an audience for all kinds of stories”
The Vietnamese-Canadian illustrator and author of children’s books spoke about her family’s refugee past, assimilating into Canadian culture, ants, and why there’s nothing wrong with being angry
Updated on Jan 17, 2025 10:15 PM IST
Report: Himalayan Echoes Festival
Thoughtful programming and warm hospitality marked the event that was held over two bracing November days at the Abbotsford Estate in Nainital
Updated on Jan 13, 2025 09:42 PM IST
Review: Gardens of Delhi by Swapna Liddle and Madhulika Liddle
Written in a lucid style, this beautiful volume provides historical, architectural and horticultural details of 14 of the capital’s most popular parks
Published on Jan 10, 2025 09:18 PM IST
Adam Gidwitz: “Most people just want a good protagonist”
At the Neev Literature Festival, 2024, the American author of children’s books spoke about his love for espionage novels, honouring his ancestors in his work, why he included an Indian character in his latest book, and holding the attention of young readers
Published on Jan 03, 2025 05:41 PM IST
Report: Dehradun Literature Festival (DDLF)
With ‘Sahitya, Cinema, Samaaj’ being the theme of the festival in its sixth edition, the event, which had sessions conducted in English, Hindi, Urdu and Punjabi covered everything from travel writing, feminism and cultural heritage to love legends, wildlife conservation, and India’s place in a shifting world order
Published on Jan 01, 2025 01:59 PM IST
Report: Jodhpur RIFF 2024
This year’s edition of the festival packed in performances by musicians from every continent on earth and showcased a dazzling variety of folk arts from across Rajasthan too
Published on Dec 26, 2024 05:29 PM IST
Dechen Wangdi: “It Is hard to talk publicly about LGBT rights in Bhutan”
The writer and journalist talks about the impact of travel, dialogues with policy makers, and why his country doesn’t have a Pride March
Updated on Dec 23, 2024 06:43 PM IST
Navtej Sarna: “Without a sense of history, we will all become rootless people”
The former diplomat spoke about how books on history written in India are making former colonisers reassess their own past and wrongdoings
Published on Dec 20, 2024 02:01 PM IST
HT reviewer Chintan Girish Modi picks his favourite read of 2024
A novel set in Kumaon that ushers the reader into a stillness that encourages forgiveness and a letting go of long held notions
Published on Dec 20, 2024 12:25 PM IST
Report: Prithvi Theatre Festival 2024
With dastangoi performances, plays based on poems and short stories and musical interludes, the 39th edition of the annual festival had much to offer
Published on Dec 12, 2024 04:52 PM IST
Kynpham Sing Nongkynrih: “I believe in literary ambidextrousness”
The winner of the 2024 Shakti Bhatt Prize, who writes poetry, drama and fiction in Khasi and English talks about his journey as a writer
Updated on Dec 10, 2024 08:06 PM IST
Report: Bhutan Innovation Forum
The three-day event, that featured everyone from members of the Himalayan nation’s royal family and Nobel laureates to CEOs, artists and monks, showed that the world has much to learn from Bhutan about harmonizing tradition and modernity
Updated on Dec 04, 2024 06:56 PM IST
Maharaja Gaj Singh II: “Folk musicians are custodians of heritage”
The chief patron of Jodhpur RIFF talks about the exposure and opportunities that the event presents to Rajasthan’s folk musicians.
Updated on Nov 27, 2024 06:49 PM IST
Rohin Bhatt – “Emotions play a big role in how cases are decided”
At the Dehradun Literature Festival, the lawyer and author of ‘The Urban Elite v Union of India: The Unfulfilled Constitutional Promise of Marriage (In) Equality’ spoke about queer liberation and the importance of marriage equality
Published on Nov 22, 2024 08:08 PM IST
Review: Poor Economics for Kids by Esther Duflo, illustrated by Cheyenne Olivier
This children’s picture book, that breaks down complex concepts and talks about poverty and social justice in an engaging way, does a fine job of holding up a mirror to society
Published on Nov 16, 2024 12:43 AM IST
Emlyn Marimutu – “Music is a spiritual force. It is the essence of life”
The Mauritian singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, who traces part of her ancestry to Pondicherry, performed at the Rajasthan International Folk Festival held from October 16 to 20 at Mehrangarh Fort in Jodhpur
Published on Nov 04, 2024 05:42 PM IST
Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche: “Mindfulness as a concept has been hijacked”
Filmmaker, author and Buddhist teacher in the Rimé (non-sectarian) lineage of Tibetan Buddhism, who has established several Buddhist centres, including the Deer Park Institute in Bir, Himachal Pradesh, spoke at the Bhutan Innovation Forum held in Paro from October 1 to 3
Published on Oct 29, 2024 11:18 AM IST
Suchitra Ramachandran – “Nobility and evil don’t come in segregated packs”
On The Abyss, her translation of Jeyamohan’s Tamil novel Ezhaam Ulagam, being shortlisted for the American Literary Translators Association’s First Translation Prize for emerging translators
Published on Oct 18, 2024 08:11 PM IST
Mark Gevisser: “Pink lines are being drawn across the world”
At the Kolkata Literary Meet 2024, the South African journalist and author of The Pink Line spoke about queer history and how same-sex marriage and gender transition are being celebrated in some societies and criminalized in others, and why the queer rights movement in India is particularly interesting
Published on Oct 11, 2024 09:12 PM IST
Sonali Gupta: “I hope that the book opens conversations around loss”
On World Mental Health Day (October 10), psychotherapist Sonali Gupta, author, You Will Be Alright, talks about how to navigate grief after the loss of a loved one or the end of a relationship, and how to support those who are grieving
Published on Oct 10, 2024 04:25 PM IST
Madhu Khanna – “Karmic connections bring people and places together”
The artist historian, who won the Oxford Bookstore Art Book Prize 2024 for ‘Tantra on the Edge’, that examines the work of KCS Paniker, SH Raza and Gogi Saroj Pal, among others, talks about the impact of Tantra on modern Indian art
Published on Oct 01, 2024 07:42 PM IST
Review: The Padmas; Fifty Stories of Perseverance by Neha J Hiranandani
An illuminating introduction to Padma awardees from various fields including medicine, literature, music, sports, education, dance, social work, science, wildlife conservation, peace building and human rights on the 70th anniversary of the institution of these awards
Published on Sep 26, 2024 02:52 PM IST
Ramesh Karthik Nayak – “Mine is a subaltern voice”
On winning the Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar (Telugu) for his short story collection, Dhaavlo (Song of Lamentation), and on being a member of the Banjara community
Published on Sep 21, 2024 05:36 PM IST
Dolma Choden Roder – “Bhutanese culture is more relational than individualistic”
The anthropologist, publisher and editor spoke about new writing from Bhutan and how the country’s independent past is allowing it to look at the discipline of anthropology minus its colonial baggage
Published on Sep 16, 2024 09:00 PM IST
Anton Hur: “The plan was always to write, not translate”
In an interview conducted at the Drukyul’s Literature and Arts Festival in Thimphu, Bhutan, the Korean novelist and translator spoke about his new sci-fi novel, queer literature, and finding success as a literary translator
Updated on Sep 14, 2024 05:28 AM IST
Sara Rai – “Exhibitionism has really taken over our society ”
At the Drukyul’s Literature and Arts Festival in Bhutan last month, bilingual author, literary translator, and editor Sara Rai spoke about her latest work, Raw Umber, on how writing helps you transcend pain, and why her grandfather Premchand’s writing is still relevant today
Published on Sep 09, 2024 08:22 PM IST
Report: Drukyul’s Literature and Arts Festival, Bhutan
With 70 speakers from 14 countries, the 13th edition of the festival in Thimphu showcased the Himalayan nation’s vibrant culture
Published on Sep 06, 2024 07:53 PM IST