The Literary Club of the Asiatic Society of Mumba in collaboration with the Centre for European Studies, University of Mumbai and the Italian Cultural Institute invites you to an Online talk: Politics and religion, literature and poetics in Dante's Commedia A reading from the prologues of Inferno, Purgatorio and Paradiso by Dr. Roberto Bertilaccio on 27th October 2021 at 6 pm on Zoom
The Literary Club of the Asiatic Society of Mumbai is pleased to invite you to a talk by Dr. Roberto Bertilaccio on Politics and religion, literature and poetics in Dante's Commedia: A reading from the prologues of Inferno, Purgatorio and Paradiso. The lecture will be held on Wednesday, 27th October 2021 at 6 pm on a Zoom platform.
Dante Alighieri is one of the greatest poets in Italy, he was also a prose writer, literary theorist, moral philosopher and political thinker. His Divine Comedy originally called Comedìa (modern Italian: Commedia), a monumental epic poem, is one of the world’s most important works of literature. The poem may be read as an allegory, taking the form of a journey through hell, purgatory and paradise. It is a profound Christian vision of humankind’s temporal and eternal destiny.
We are happy and proud to have, in our collection at the Asiatic Society, one of the manuscripts of Dante’s great work. It is indeed one of our prized possessions.
The lecture will be divided into two sections. The first part will introduce Dante’s life and times in the historical Florentine context of the 14th century. The second will focus on Dante’s poetics and analyse the literary features of the Commedia, through a reading of the prologues of Inferno, Purgatorio and Paradiso.
Dr. Roberto Bertilaccio holds an M.A. degree in Italian Literature from Università degli Studi “La Sapienza”, Roma (Italia) and a Ph.D. in Theory and Critics of Literature from Università degli Studi, Siena (Italia). He was deputed by the Ministry of External Affairs of Italy to teach at the University of Mumbai, Delhi University and Jamia Millia Islamia University for 9 years from 2008-2017.
Dr Bertilaccio is a Member of the Advisory Board and Visiting Faculty at the Centre for European Studies.

Join Zoom for the programme at 5.45 p.m.:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82531361443?pwd=OFhSSmw5bmh1TVVVYlJWa3YvTy9uQT09
Meeting ID: 825 3136 1443
Passcode: 172068

- Dr Usha R Vijailakshmi, Officiating Hon. Secretary, The Asiatic Society of Mumbai
- Meenal Kshirsagar, Vice President of the Society & Chairperson - ASM LitClub

The Asiatic Society of Mumbai Literary Club
ASM LitClub – An evening of poetry Kala Ghoda Poems Crawl: A virtual tour of Bombay's artistic Kala Ghoda area,led by a new and novel travel guide: Arun Kolatkar's Kala Ghoda Poems Monday, 18th October 2021 at 6 pm on Zoom The Literary Club of the Asiatic Society is delighted to invite you to an evening of poetry ‘Kala Ghoda Poems Crawl: A virtual tour of Bombay's artistic Kala Ghoda area.’ This is led by a unique and new travel guide: Arun Kolatkar's “Kala Ghoda Poems.” This programme will be held on Monday, 18th October 2021 at 6 p.m. on a Zoom platform.
Experience and thrall to the poet's city - an upside down, prismatic and eclectic collection of everyday life which we all experience but tend to overlook. Kolatkar's crisp, attentive verse urges us to focus on our city’s many ever-changing aspects, even as it overturns the city for us. Saranya Subramanian brings Bombay to life verse by verse and step by step, as she conducts an hour-long virtual walk,
This exhilarating evening of poetry, will in the spirit of the times, be on Zoom. Do join us in experiencing the city anew through the poetry of one of our foremost poets, Arun Kolatkar, the quintessential Bombay poet, who thrived in the city’s cosmopolitan culture. From the 1960s until his death in 2004, he explored literature, music, poetry and graphic design. This bon vivant - the perfect flâneur, the passionate spectator (to quote Laëtitia Zecchini) wove and presented Bombay, Jejuri and other local cultures in lilting verse, making them accessible to every corner of the world. This, while remaining rooted to street life and language. His poetry radically alters the discourse around Indian writing and modernist literature.
Saranya Subramaniam, our presenter, is a thespian who writes poetry and prose. She is currently an MFA candidate at the University of San Francisco, California. Under her initiative, The Bombay Poetry Crawl, she is collating and archiving material from the 20th century Anglophone (Bombay Poets). She is passionate about guiding city denizens through city walkthroughs, with animating poems written in different parts of Bombay.
The Zoom link will be sent later.

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81483731412?pwd=c09pQzhYKzFIaFMxRTZuQ2hTejJMZz09

Meeting ID: 814 8373 1412
 Passcode: 684543

- Dr Usha R Vijailakshmi, Officiating Hon. Secretary, Asiatic Society of Mumbai
- Meenal Kshirsagar, Vice President of the Society & Chairperson - ASM LitClub