ARCHIVED MEDIA RELEASE
PA/04/2006 27 January 2006
Major Australian art and culture program launched in Delhi
Australian High Commissioner to India, Mr John McCarthy today launched in Delhi AusArts: Celebrating Australian art and culture 2006-2007, a two- year cultural promotion program supported by the Australian Government through the Australia International Cultural Council (AICC).
“During the next two years, AusArts will showcase the diversity of Australian culture through major events in India focusing on major art exhibitions, high quality drama, jazz, design, film, literature and other art and cultural events across India”, announced Mr McCarthy.
The launch also featured three Australian authors: Larissa Behrendt, Isobelle Carmody and Luke Davies in conversation with noted Indian poet and critic, Mr Ashok Vajpeyi. These award winning writers will also lead the Australian delegation to the forthcoming Kolkata Book Fair.
"Australia's participation in the Kolkata Book Fair and the presence of major Australian authors in India present an opportunity to highlight and strengthen the shared English language and literature connections that exist between Australia and India", said Mr McCarthy.
“Australia is delighted, in particular, to have the authors visit India while Australia is Guest of Honour country at the 2006 Kolkata Book Fair, and we look forward to being Focus country in 2007,” he added.
In Delhi, the visiting authors will also take part in lectures and forums to talk about their work and discuss the state of literature with their Indian counterparts at Jawaharlal Nehru University as well as participate in the New Delhi Book Fair.
They will conduct workshops and master classes at the Burdwan University, and contribute to a conference at Kolkata University on the theme of Globalisation and Postcolonial Writing.
Other AusArts events include an aboriginal exhibition Seasons of the Kunwinjku, scheduled to open at Kolkata on 7 February. Australia will also participate at the Mumbai International Film Festival in February, which also features a live performance by a didgeridoo player prior to the screening of Australian films. Australian Art Orchestra, Australian Dance Theatre and an exhibition on contemporary design for the body will also be presented as part of AusArts during 2006-2007.
About the authors:
Larissa Behrendt , is a practising lawyer and lecturer who has worked with the United Nations. Home, her first novel, was awarded the Best First Book in the South-East Asia and the South Pacific section of the Commonwealth Writer’s Prize 2005.
Isobelle Carmody began the first of her highly acclaimed Obernewtyn Chronicles while she was still at high school. Her second book, The Gathering, was a joint winner of the 1993 CBC Book of the Year Award and the 1994 Children's Literature Peace Prize.
Luke Davies is the author of two novels, including the cult bestseller Candy. His collections of poetry have met with high critical praise. Running with Light won one of Australia’s most prestigious literary awards, the Judith Wright Poetry Prize, while Totem was the 2004 winner of the prestigious Age Book of the Year Award.
The tour will coincide with the publication of the authors' works by Penguin India.
For more information please contact:
Nikki Anderson, Literature Program, AsiaLink, [email protected] John Fisher, First Secretary, Australian High Commission, Tel: +91 11 4139 9900
AusArts India: film, arts, literature is supported by the Australian Government through the Australia International Cultural Council an initiative of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in partnership with the Australia Council, the Australian Film Commission, Austrade, Tourism Australia and the Australia-India Council.