Experts discuss challenges, opportunities for Asian literature

ALS vows to promote Asian art, culture, literature

Journal of Asian Art, Culture and Literature (JAACL) and Asian Literary Society hosted its first Annual Lecture by Dr. A. J. Thomas (Renowned Writer and Poet & Former Editor, Indian Literature, Sahitya Akademi) on 12th December 2020.

Manoj Krishnan (Editor-in-chief JAACL and Founder, Asia Literary Society) presided this much-awaited annual event. In his opening note, he outlined the ALS and JAACL’s mission of promoting Asian art, culture, and literature all over the world.

Speaking on the topic Challenges and Opportunities for Asian Literature in Years to Come, Dr. A. J. Thomas shared his experiences of editing the national literary journal, Indian Literature of Sahitya Akademi that helped him to develop a mental map of literature from the twenty-four national languages of India.

Being a Core Committee member of the SAARC Literature Association, FOCSWAL, and Honorary Fellow of South Korea’s Department of Culture Dr. A. J. Thomas has been familiar with the challenges faced by Asian Literature on Global platforms. He discussed it in detail during this annual lecture.

Dr. A. J. Thomas also spoke about the International and National Seminars organized by Sahitya Akademi, and other agencies over the last quarter-century, the International Writing Programme, and the Annual Conference of the American Writers Federations at Washington DC.

He shared his experiences of meeting with writers, intellectuals, and professionals of the expat communities in the USA and Europe that helped him to gauge the potential appeal of Asian Literature in the West.

In the end, Manoj Krishnan expressed heartfelt gratitude to Dr. A. J. Thomas for delivering the annual lecture and thanked the esteemed audience for their invaluable support.

The first annual lecture hosted by the Journal of Asian Art, Culture and Literature (JAACL) and Asian Literary Society™ received an overwhelming response from audiences from all over the world who applauded this literary initiative at the time of the coronavirus pandemic.