On the crisp crimson evening of 13th September, the air in the Humanities and Social Sciences Department was one of joy and celebration. The occasion was the Book Release by one of our Department’s senior-most faculty, Prof Evangeline Manickam. Orient Blackswan Publishers has brought out the critical edition of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, which has been annotated by Prof Manickam. The event was held in the newly renovated HSB 356, which will now be known as the Mahatma Hall.
The event began with the welcoming of guests by the Research Scholars. Prof Bhaskar Ramamurthi, Director, IIT-M, released the book and the first copy was received by Prof M. S. Nagarajan. Prof Srilata spoke first, highlighting the importance of the annotated versions to English literature. She quoted the first editor’s impressions to signify the importance of The Great Gatsby, which has now been accorded a place which is parallel to American mythology. This was followed by the Director’s remarks. The Director lauded the efforts of Prof Manickam.
Dr Madhavi Menon, Associate Publisher at Orient Blackswan, who also happens to be the first out-going Ph.D. student in English from the Department, spoke at length on the careers available for students in the field of publishing. She highlighted the different kinds of projects undertaken by Orient Blackswan Publishers. She also shared her nostalgia, from her days as a scholar in the Department.
Prof M. S. Nagarajan, retired Professor from the University of Madras and currently Guest Faculty at the Department, talked about the socio-cultural background of the setup in which The Great Gatsby was written. He spoke in detail regarding the Great Depression that befell America post the First World War and the coming of the Jazz Age. He also reiterated the difficulties with regard to reading Classics, which require them to be revisited with newer approaches.
The most anticipated part of the evening was the author’s talk. It was a proud moment for Prof Evangeline Manickam, when she shared her personal journey in annotating the book. Prof Manickam recalled memories of her childhood, when she used to visit the Children’s Book section of the American Library in Madras. She still remembers the first time she read The Great Gatsby way back in 1978. It was a Penguin Publication. She talked about her love for American Literature. She remembered watching the Robert Redford and Mia Farrow starrer film adaptation, at the Sapphire Blue Diamond Multiplex.
Prof Manickam said that the Gatsby is happening in India today, almost 90 years later than America. Issues like raising the girl child, the rich running over the lives of the poor, etc. have taken the centre stage. The city of Chennai can be aptly called the Detroit of Asia. She also spoke about the need to expand the scope of Humour Studies. Prof Manickam thanked the people who helped her complete the book. She also thanked Prof Swarnalatha and Prof Tripathy, who coordinated the event.
This was followed by a reading of selected parts of the text by Prof Mathangi Krishnamurthy. The event ended with the proposal of a vote of thanks by Prof Jyotirmaya Tripathy. Orient Blackswan had also set up a stall displaying their publications in the Critical Texts series.
– Akshay Patil
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