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Writers' bid to build bridges

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI FEB. 16. Writing in margin, they are now "moving barriers'' to celebrate, listen, talk and enjoy. For the group of women writers who gathered at Anandgram here in the Capital, it was a chance to overcome linguistic and class barriers and to be "seen and heard''. But in a way it was also a reminder that some gaps are difficult to bridge.

Inaugurated this evening, the UK-South Asian Women Writers' Conference 2003 organised by the British Council brings together for the first time writers from these two parts of the world on one platform. And while, it was a chance to get to know the neighbours for Indian writers, the closest one was "absent''. With Pakistani writers not being able to attend because of visa problems, some barriers seem harder to cross.

``It is very sad that our friends from Pakistan could not join us. But this is a reality of the region. It is nice to see women from Nepal and Bangladesh though, as we might be neighbours but we are still strangers,'' said Ritu Menon of "Kali for Women''.

A five-day conference, it will be attended by well-known authors as well as those who are waiting to get their faces on dust-covers. From concrete solutions to everyday realities like censorship, participants will be able to discuss and understand these issues as writers and as women.

``It is a meeting of both the heart and mind. We are aiming for outcome both practical and philosophical. We intend to keep up the communication beyond just three days. A virtual network will be set up so that South-Asian writers and writers in the U.K can come together. We are planning an anthology of new works,'' said Margaret Meyer, a participant.

There will be workshops and an exhibition of books by participant writers. From trying to be visible in print to being seen in art, "Within and Without -- Through Women's Eye'', an exhibition of work by women artists is on display at the British Council till February 21.

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