Politics of Literary Theory and Representation: Writings on Activism and Aesthetics

Some of the most celebrated Indian writers and critics examine issues central to contemporary academic debate: issues of interface between political activism and aesthetic representation, the dominant discourse of mainstream or centre and the subaltern of marginalized voices, narrative of 'nations' in opposition to those of the 'nation', essentialism and universalism v. specificities and diversities, historical and spatial location of the author/reader, the insider's view v. the outsider's, (ir)relevance of modern literary theory, the need to re-examine Western paradigms and search for alternative models, etc.