Despite winning the Forward prize, Countries of the Body has been largely unnoticed. If it weren't for a recent festival of literature in Mumbai, for instance, I would have had to do quite a bit of searching to locate a copy. Why do you think the Indian media is so afraid of focusing on poetry?
I think poetry has lost its place in contemporary society.
Poets, who have traditionally been the prophets, seekers, soothsayers, in societies all over the world, are now very much relegated to speaking from the margins. I don't think this fall has much to do with the media, which I think reflects trends in society rather than frames them.
Especially in the case of poetry, I think the change has been within societies itself. Somehow, we have arrived at an age where people seem to have no need for these traditional poetic distillations or visions of the world. And even if people are interested, the numbers are few.
I think people have turned to other art forms -- film, photography, music -- and this is not necessarily a bad thing; it's just the way things have moved.
As poets, we have to ask ourselves how to make our work relevant again. The media will follow in due course, as it always does.
What exactly do you think literary festivals hope to accomplish? Do they succeed? Did your presence at two recent such festivals yield any interesting experiences?
Literary festivals, as I understand them, aim to provide platforms, forums, centres around which conversations, discussions, ideas, and excitement about books can be promoted. They offer editors, publishers, agents, authors and the general public a space in which to engage in particular discourse.
My first festival was in Hay-on-Wye, which was a tremendous experience. Since then, I have met and read with wonderful writers from all over the world -- and these experiences make writers feel they are connected in some kind of global community -- which I think is quite important for those of us who don't ordinarily occupy these literary hubs.
Festivals, if done well, can bring to the public's attention not just the work of famous writers, but also new, unknown voices. A lot of the success of a festival depends on the thought and care taken to organise it. It is impossible to go to a festival and not have an 'interesting' experience, but I think as a writer you have to pick and choose these experiences. After a while, it can all become very distracting from the work at hand.
Also see: When Salman Rushdie came calling...
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