EVENT DETAILS
Program : Reading The Last Wave: An Island Novel followed
by a discussion with the author
Date : May 02, 2015 (Saturday)
Time : 06.00 pm
Venue : American Corner, St. Francis
College for Women, Begumpet, Hyderabad
The
Last Wave: An Island Novel (2014) is Pankaj Sekhsaria’s debut novel. Ever
the aimless drifter, Harish finds the anchor his life needs in a chance
encounter with members of the ancient and threatened - Jarawa community-the
'original people' of the Andaman Islands and its tropical rain forests. As he
observes the slow but sure destruction of everything the Jarawa require for
their survival, Harish is moved by a need to understand, to do something. His
unlikely friend and partner on this quest is uncle Pame, a seventy-year-old
Karen boatman. The islands also bring him to Seema, a 'local born'-a descendant
of the convicts who were lodged in the infamous cellular jail of port Blair. Harish’s
earnestness, his fascination and growing love for the islands, their shared
attempt to understand the Jarawa and the loss of her own first love, all draw
Seema closer to Harish. As many things seem to fall in place and parallel
journeys converge, an unknown contender appears-the giant tsunami of December
2004. The last wave is a story of lost loves, but also of a culture, a
community, an ecology poised on the sharp edge of time and history
Pankaj Sekhsaria is an Assistant Professor, at the
School of Public Policy and Governance at Tata Institute of Social Sciences,
Hyderabad. An environmental activist, Pankaj has worked with Kalpavriksh in the
past. He is an avid traveller, writer and a photographer. He has authored three
books on environment in India. He is currently pursuing his Ph.D in Science and
Technology Studies from Maastricht University. The Last Wave is Pankaj’s first work of fiction.
Entry Free. Seating on first come, first served basis
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