Manu Joseph on the power of literature

The fictional works of Joseph and Tahir connect the personal with the political. By writing fictional stories, they uncover complex structures and question our presumptions.

Together we discuss the societal dimension of their work and literature as a place where you can reveal reality and mirror society. With that, we will discuss how their stories arise, their authorship and their use of language.

Manu Joseph (1974) lives in New Delhi and works as a columnist for the International New York Times. He impressed the literary world with his debut novel Serious Men and achieved more acclaim with his novel The illicit Happiness of Other People, which was chosen as Book of the Month by the Dutch TV programme De Wereld Draait Door. This is his third novel.

Naema Tahir (1970) was born to Pakistani parents in Slough, Great Britain. She grew up in both England, the Netherlands and Pakistan, and worked for ten years as a lawyer for, among others, the UN and the Council of Europe. She established her name as a writer with novels such as Solitary present (2008) and The Bride (2011). With Letters in Urdu, Tahir has found a voice that deeply penetrates the psyche of the migrant.

Alexander Reeuwijk is an author and traveller. He has published books on the history of the evolution theory, Indonesia and Iran. Currently he is working on a book about South-India, the Cholos and the Bronze statues of the gods. Over the years he travelled to India for his work on multiple occasions. 

This program is a cooperation between Uitgeverij Podium and De Balie. 

Manu Joseph is currently staying in the Netherlands as writer-in-residence, invited by the Dutch Foundation for Literature