Reading from novel ‘Berlin-Bombay’ by author Anant Kumar + Q&A session

This event has ended.

Author Anant Kumar will give a reading from his novel, Berlin – Bombay (2016), and will be followed by a question-and-answer session.

The reading will address issues such as how far away Germany is from an open and welcoming society from the author’s point of view, as well as equality, diversity, xenophobia, poverty, and death.

Attendees will have the opportunity to ask the author about his perception of Germany’s current state in comparison to the time of the publication of the novel, how successful its attempts have been to become a multicultural society and discuss the question of right-wing populism and xenophobia being the ‘new normal’ in German society.

This is the second and last event with our guest, author Anant Kumar.

Biography
Anant Kumar (born September 28, 1969, in Katihar/Bihar), is a German author, translator and literary critic of Indian descent. He spent his childhood in Motihari, where his father Rajendra Prasad was Professor at M. S. College, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar Bihar University. He resides in Kassel, Germany.

The son of an Indian teacher from Bihar, Kumar went to college from 1991 to 1998 at the GHK (Gesamthochschule/University Kassel), where he received a master's degree in German literature, writing his thesis on Alfred Döblin’s epic novel Manas.

In his literary works, Kumar connects the experiences of a foreigner in German society with Indian culture. His first work, Fremde Frau, fremder Mann (Foreign Woman, Foreign Man), is characterized by its pithy insights and expressive perceptiveness. The aspects of observational satire and finely ironic comment are constant elements throughout Kumar’s work. In his work Zeru—A Seven Day Story Kumar alludes to the literary form of the epos and brilliantly depicts the colorful array of daily life for an African boy amid wild and ancient myths of the dark continent.

Anant Kumar is a member of the Association of German Authors and the Literary Society of Hesse.

A list of Anant Kumar’s work is available.

Event format
The event will take in person and will not be recorded for publication after the event.

Simultaneous Translation
The event will be delivered in the medium of English. You are welcome to ask questions in the medium of Welsh during the Q&A session. If you intend to do this, please contact mlang-events@cardiff.ac.uk by Wednesday 1 March to request simultaneous translation. Please note that 10% or more of those planning to attend will need to request this provision in order for it to be sourced and will be subject to resource availability.

Registration
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