Latest news with #Zacharia
New Indian Express
a day ago
- Entertainment
- New Indian Express
Adoor, Zacharia praise VR show promoting nature conservation
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Touring Virtual Reality Show held at the Russian Centre here on Sunday was a hit among children and senior citizens alike, as they looked on in awe at the beauty of Russian landscapes through the immersive world of VR. The programme – organised by the Russian Honorary Society and the Russian Geographical Society – was inaugurated by filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan. The function was also attended by writer Paul Zacharia and UAE consulate general representative Muhammed Alshamsi. Putting on the VR gear, Adoor and Zacharia lauded the initiative as they explored the scenic geography of Russia. 'At some point, I felt as if I was inside the woods,' said Adoor after watching the VR show. Zacharia pointed out that the high quality visuals provided a unique experience. Aimed at increasing awareness about nature conservation and popularising the beauty of Russian landscapes, the programme will see VR Touring Talkies screening films in selected schools in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, and Ernakulam. The films, developed by the Russian Geographical Society, depict the nature and culture of Russia, said an official working with the Russian House.
Indian Express
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Malayalam writer Paul Zacharia on his novel ‘True Story of a Writer, a Philosopher and a Shape-Shifter', the perpetual need for revising a text and navigating bilingualism
As old as the story of writing is the story of the writer struggling to find the right words. Pen meets paper in easy camaraderie only in the imagination of the non-writer. Just ask Lord Spider, bestselling author of mysteries, thrillers and romances who cannot wrap his head around the demands of an essay on compassion (commissioned by the revolutionary party in order to raise funds for old comrades). Or ask his creator Paul Zacharia, whose own struggles with composing columns on political and social issues, after years of fiction writing, found expression through Spider's travails in True Story of a Writer, a Philosopher and a Shape-Shifter. 'I had to almost relearn writing,' the 80-year-old confesses in an email interview, 'I was dealing with facts. I had to double check the truth of everything I said. I had to reinvent my language to make it plain yet loaded.' If writing itself is a fraught enterprise, then what of rewriting? Zacharia, one of the most well-known writers in Malayalam literature, celebrated for the spare, elliptical style of his short fiction, has recently published his first novel. In English. For the second time. True Story of a Writer, a Philosopher and a Shape-Shifter is a revised version of The Secret History of Compassion, which was published in 2019 by Context, an imprint of Westland Books. After the closure of Westland in 2022, a new edition of Zacharia's debut novel was being planned with Penguin when the writer recognised the occasion for what it was: A rare opportunity to revise an existing work. 'My experience is that every revision improves and sharpens a text. When I suggested it to the publisher they were interested. It was a valuable learning experience for me because it involved working with a large text with several interconnected narratives,' he says. True Story's plot — if one were to describe it as such — is about more than just the difficulties of a writer. The trio of the title — Lord Spider, his wife and renowned philosopher Dr Rosi and the multi-hyphenate J L Pillai (shape-shifting hangman, would-be writer and fan-turned-collaborator) — talks, argues and speculates about such things as the nature of death and the weight of human desire (and whether it affects one's ability to fly). As Pillai, followed by Rosi, work with Spider to produce the essay on compassion line-by-line, what emerges is a distinct authorial vision of what lies beyond the easy binary of fiction and non-fiction. Zacharia's deft segues into tall tales and myths (and even a translation of the short story Satan's Brush by the late Thomas Joseph) and his sly wit suggest that what we typically see as the straightforward logic of a story, too, is just a lie. What seems like a farcical flight of fancy is, in fact, a sharp comment on the compromises and adjustments through which we try to draw meaning from the meaningless: 'Can it be… that the most efficiently organised agencies of Compassion are the armies, navies, air forces, secret services, serial killers, terrorists, dictators, religious fundamentalists, racists and nuclear-button controllers? Perhaps we have been mistaking them for annihilators whereas they only annihilate Sorrow at its root — by annihilating Life.' Clearly, Zacharia sends up pieties and certainties with as much assurance in his English fiction as he has done in Malayalam over the course of his long literary career. He's spoken before about how writing The Secret History of Compassion in English freed him up to be inventive, 'without stopping for any propriety or possible moral taboos'. Since he encountered it in college in Kottayam, Zacharia has loved the language ('as much as Malayalam') and when it first struck him that he should write a novel — because it meant a 'more demanding engagement' with his craft — English felt like an apt choice. 'I think the basic challenges of writing are the same in any language,' he says, 'English, perhaps, made my task of writing the first novel easier because, to me, English, because of its historical richness, held out a wealth of possibilities in regard to literary expression. And it saved me from having a model to look back upon.' Linguistic pride being an especially sensitive topic right now, there is widespread prickliness on the question of English vs Hindi vs every other Indian language. So it is easy to forget that such creative and intellectual bilingualism is a long-established Indian tradition; Zacharia has good company in writers like Gopalkrishna Adiga (under whose tutelage in Mysuru, he fell in love with English literature), Nirmal Verma, AK Ramanujan and UR Ananthamurthy. Yet, even as debates rage over mediums of instruction in classrooms and linguistic hegemony in India's most vibrant cities, Zacharia remains optimistic about the future of the country's multi-lingual character. 'There never was a time when everyone spoke everyone else's languages. But when the need arises, they all do. A Keralite in Mumbai will willy-nilly speak Marathi, Hindi and English. In fact, I feel Indian languages have evolved, become stronger, and modernity has become a continuing objective for them.' And what about the fate of compassion in a time of conflict? Satire in the age of humourlessness? And, of course, the act of writing in the era of the endless scroll? Reader, take heart from True Story…, where the titular trio wends its fantastical, if chaotic, way to an essay. Distracted, but never derailed, by the stories and characters they encounter during this time together (including Jesus and Satan), they conclude that, 'the penalty kick of Fate is the final test and let's hope for the best. For, the end is not here. It awaits you as a secret shrouded in a mystery. Or vice versa.'
New Indian Express
21-04-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Paul Zacharia says Kerala's modernity rooted in cultural harmony at Dr Gopinath Mohanty Memorial Lecture
BHUBANESWAR: Kerala's modernity has been sustained by a sanity that goes beyond communal divisiveness and preserved in hands of the common people of the state - the Hindus, Muslims and Christians, who help and respect one another and coexist with cultural harmony, said acclaimed author Paul Zacharia on Sunday. Delivering the 34th Dr Gopinath Mohanty Memorial Lecture here on 'Emergence of Modern Mind: The Kerala Experience', the renowned Malayalam writer said tremendous pressure was at work to demolish the coexistence, considered the heart of Kerala's modernity and prosperity. He said the ghosts of the past revived in new form are still trying for dominion with ferocity in Kerala. 'However, it is saved in the hands of the common people, at least for now,' Zacharia said. The writer said Hinduism, Islam and Christianity have all played a major role in the shaping of Kerala. 'There has been intense competition among people of these religions, especially after Independence, for political power, economic power, educational opportunities and government jobs. However, they managed not to create enmity and hate among themselves,' Zacharia said and added this spirit of co-existence was the first building block of Kerala's modernity. Terming Gopinath Mohanty as an unofficial chronicler of the tribal people of Odisha, Zacharia said the former was an outstanding humanist who held the lives of the tribal people close to his heart all his life both as an author and administrator. Two translated works of Mohanty, who dominated the Odia literature for over four decades, were unveiled at the event organised by Odisha Sahitya Akademi and Gopinath Mohanty Foundation Trust. Culture director and Odisha Sahitya Akademi president Bijay Ketan Upadhyaya, Gopinath Mohanty Foundation Trust chairperson Prof Omkar Nath Mohanty and other dignitaries also spoke.
Al Jazeera
14-04-2025
- Business
- Al Jazeera
Photos: Bethlehem carvers fret over second Easter without tourists
On most Easter holidays, the cobbled streets of Bethlehem — the occupied West Bank town revered as the birthplace of Jesus — would be bustling with tourists. Pilgrims and sightseers once packed the souvenir shops, providing a vital lifeline for local artisans. But since Israel's war on Gaza erupted in October 2023, the usual flow of visitors has dried up. Attalah Zacharia, a veteran olive wood carver, now relies heavily on exports to Europe and the United States. But even that stream of income is now in jeopardy, as recently announced US tariffs threaten to choke off the few remaining sales. Easter and Christmas are traditionally high seasons for Bethlehem, where tourism accounts for 70 percent of the city's annual income. 'Bethlehem as a tourist destination has faced a very difficult period during the last two years,' said Anton Salman, the city's mayor. Without visitors, the town's artisan workshops have fallen eerily quiet. In Zacharia's store, rows of intricately carved crucifixes and nativity figurines gather dust. Palestinian carvers sit idle, surrounded by the wares they once sold to a global clientele. 'There is no tourism,' Zacharia said, 'so there is no work'. His workshop, a family business established in the West Bank in 1960, has been forced to slash its workforce from 25 to just 10 employees. Zacharia now opens only two days a week. He estimates his business has suffered a 75 percent decline since the start of the war. Piles of the soft, richly grained olive wood traditionally used for Bethlehem's carvings lie stacked outside his shop. On a long workbench, miniature figures of Jesus on the cross are lined up, each unique due to the wood's natural markings. 'Before, of course, the situation was completely normal, the entire crew was working,' Zacharia said. 'I don't know what the future holds.' Israel resumed its bombardment of Gaza last month, breaking a ceasefire that had begun in January. With no end in sight to the conflict, tourism in Israel and the occupied West Bank has plummeted. Compounding the crisis, Israel has barred entry to most of the 150,000 Palestinians from the West Bank who once worked in Israel, dealing a heavy blow to the Palestinian economy — which contracted by 25 percent in the past year. Bassem Giacaman, another seasoned woodworker whose shop overlooks Manger Square, momentarily perks up when a rare customer enters his factory. US President Donald Trump this week delayed the implementation of new import tariffs for 90 days after they triggered a four-day market rout and raised fears of a looming global recession. But for business owners like Giacaman, the reprieve offers only a temporary relief. If the tariffs are enforced, he says, the consequences will be dire. Already, two clients have put their orders on hold. With most Palestinian exports routed through Israeli markets, artisans face the risk of a 17 percent tax on their goods. 'I'll have to increase my prices,' he said. 'It will be damaging to every business in the West Bank.' Giacaman says one of his handcrafted wooden crucifixes even made its way into the hands of Trump. He proudly shows on his phone a photograph of the former US president holding the miniature cross. While the image offers a moment of pride, it does not reflect broader political sentiment. He adds that neither he nor many other Palestinians support Trump.
