Aspen Summer Words-Writing Retreat & Literary Festival

May 7, 2008

The Aspen Writers’ Foundation and Explore Booksellers will present Salman Rushdie with the Aspen Prize for Literature during the AWF’s 2008 Aspen Summer Words Literary Festival: “Passage To India,” held June 22-26 in Aspen. Rushdie will headline the 32nd annual celebration of words and ideas that will honor the contemporary stories and storytellers of India.

Rushdie and his peers — Anita Rau Badami, Amit Chaudhuri, David Davidar, Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, Indu Sundaresan, Manil Suri and Dr. Shashi Tharoor — will bring the literary terroir of India to Aspen, discussing the themes of identity and language, gender, caste, diaspora and exile that have been a focal point of much Indian fiction. They will join 19 other award-winning authors, agents and editors from the U.S. in 15+ literary events and parties held over the course of the five days of Aspen Summer Words.

“As the home to 216 languages and the ancestral home of some of the world’s oldest literary texts, we are thrilled to celebrate India and honored to bring to Aspen some of the biggest names in Indian writing,” said Lisa Consiglio, executive director of the Aspen Writers’ Foundation.

ASPEN PRIZE FOR LITERATURE
Salman Rushie, winner of the 2008 Aspen Prize for Literature, is widely considered to be both the father of contemporary English-language Indian literature and one of the finest living novelists today. He is the author of ten novels, including The Enchantress of Florence; Midnight’s Children, which won the Booker Prize; and The Satanic Verses, which won the Whitbread Novel Award and famously lead to accusations of blasphemy against Islam and subsequently a fatwa against the author. Despite being self-exiled, he continued to write and publish books, including novels, a children’s book, essays, criticism, short stories, theatrical adaptations, and a travel narrative. The Aspen Prize for Literature is sponsored by the Bedell World Citizenship Fund.

FESTIVAL ARTISTS
In addition to Rushdie, Aspen Summer Words will feature 7 other speakers with ties to India, including: Anita Rau Badami is a bestselling novelist and author of Can You Hear the Nightbird Call? and The Hero’s Walk, winner of Commonwealth Writers Prize for Best Book (Canada and the Caribbean).
Hailed by the Village Voice as “one of the most talented and versatile writers of his generation,” Amit Chaudhuri is an award-winning novelist (A New World and Freedom Song), critic, and musician.
David Davidar is a prize-winning novelist (The House of Blue Mangoes and The Solitude of Emperors), a founding director of Penguin India, and the foremost publisher of Indian writers.
Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni is a bestselling author (The Mistress of Spices and The Palace of Illusions), an award-winning fiction writer and poet, and an American Book Award winner.
Indu Sundaresan is the author of three novels, including The Feast of Roses, The Splendor of Silence and The Twentieth Wife, winner of the Washington State Book Award.
Manil Suri is the bestselling author of two novels, The Age of Shiva and The Death of Vishnu, which was a PEN/Faulkner Award nominee; a mathematician; and a Time magazine “Person to Watch.”
Dr. Shashi Tharoor is a prize-winning author of ten fiction and non-fiction books; a widely published critic, commentator and columnist; and a former Under-Secretary of the United Nations.

WRITING RETREAT
In addition to having the afternoons and evenings centered around the Festival, a morning Writing Retreat offers the choice of intensive five-day workshops or two-day classes to the pre-registered student. Among the Writing Retreat faculty are celebrated author-educators: Douglas Bauer, Richard Bausch, Jan Greenberg, William Loizeaux, Sue Miller, Pamela Painter, Robert Pinsky, Nic Pizzolato, and Cerena Thomsen. All writing retreat faculty members will also serve as Festival presenters. Back by popular demand is the Readers’ Retreat, a two-day literature appreciation course, this year covering contemporary Indian writing and moderated by Dr. Shashi Tharoor.

THE DETAILS
Aspen Summer Words Literary Festival will take place at the Belly Up, Aspen’s premier performance venue, located at 450 S. Galena Street. (The Writing Retreat is held at The Gant, 610 West End Street.) Festival passes, good for all Festival events and parties, are $150 for AWF members / $200 for individuals. More information and Festival Passes are available from the Aspen Writers’ Foundation at 970.925.3122 and online at www.aspenwriters.org. Single tickets will go on sale in June at the Belly Up: 970.544.9800 and www.bellyupaspen.com.

Written by debbie · Filed Under Arts

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