On Monday the 13th of Aug, the Grade 12 English A students
had a lively interaction with two luminaries from the world of Eng. Lit. This
interaction was informal, with the easy exchange adding that much more to a
range of issues and ideas discussed. Dr Shalini Advani was also a part of this
interaction and she began the session with a brief introduction. 
Professor Ania Loomba researches and teaches early modern
literature, histories of race and colonialism, postcolonial studies, feminist
theory, and contemporary Indian literature and culture. She currently holds the
Catherine Bryson Chair in the English department at University of Pennsylvania.
The students also had the privilege of interacting with Professor Suvir Kaul,
who teaches courses in Eighteenth-century British Literature, Contemporary
South Asian Writing in English, and in Literary and Critical Theory at
University of Pennsylvania.He has taught at the University of Illinois at
Urbana-Champaign, at Stanford University, and at the Jamia Milia Islamia as a
Visiting Professor and held post-doctoral fellowships at the University of
Canterbury at Kent and at the Society for the Humanities at Cornell University.
The exchange between students started with an easy question
answer session on the length and breadth of their Eng A Curriculum and then
moved on specific texts. Students came up with strong views, for and against
many a text, principally; Jane Austen and Orwell’s ‘Animal Farm’ The discussion
took an interesting turn with Prof
Loomba and Prof Kaul throwing questions on feminine ‘types’. The
insights into what literature can teach us and what it can make us critically
scrutinize was indeed useful and the students learnt a lot in the 45 minute
interaction. What was impressive was the ease and confidence displayed by grade
12, in voicing their opinions and justifying their stance. Our guests too
seemed delighted with the spirited exchange and two generations of Eng Lit
learners and teachers walked with new perspectives and some deep insights.
Geeta Verma
IBDP Coordinator
