The Hindu : 'A strange outing'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Dec 28, 2002

International

International

'A strange outing'

Michel Marian, Secretary-General, Centre National du Livre, Paris writes:

This is in response to the article ``A strange outing'' in The Hindu (Dec.7) by your Paris correspondent, Vaiju Naravane on the recently concluded French literary festival, ``Les Belles Etrangeres - India''.

The article contains inaccuracies and distortions, not to speak of the deplorable practice of quoting a ``prominent French journalist'' without mentioning a name.

First, the article surprisingly fails to mention the principal features of this festival which would indicate the importance of the event — 37 cities and towns all across France (and two in Holland and one in Belgium) participated. These meetings were well-attended.

In the last three years, the time we started work on the festival, more books were published into French from the Indian languages and English than ever before.

The French press gave extensive coverage to the event and wrote on the Indian writers invited.

Second, May I add that from 1999 itself, the Centre National du Livre (CNL) had decided to give due importance to writing in the Indian languages. The selection process involved consulting a large number of translators and the Literary Adviser who, as in the case of almost all the Belles Etrangères Festivals, is attached to one or the other publishing company. The CNL then made the final decision on the writers to be invited. Thirdly, I regret that Ms. Naravane has not deemed fit to carry through her concern for transparency or the hunt for conflicts of interest by daring to add in the end that she herself is the Literary Adviser to a French Publishing Company. As for the ``bad organisation'', if this mean to Ms. Naravane overflowing halls, I take it as a compliment.

Vaiju Naravane responds:

My article in no way attempted to diminish the importance of the Belles Etrangeres, describing it as ``a major literary event ... a two-week-long literary fest that takes invited writers on a whirlwind tour of Paris and the French provinces for conferences, book signings and seminars...'' Belgium or Holland were not mentioned merely because events there were minor compared to France. Only three of the 20 authors went to Amsterdam and Leiden for a single event in each city, while two of the 20 made a solitary appearance in Brussels.

It is incorrect to suggest that the article did not mention coverage of the Belles Etrangeres by the press in France: '' Press coverage although fairly extensive was half-hearted and lukewarm, as if journalists had found it difficult to work up enough enthusiasm for the fare offered.'' Staff members of the CNL told this correspondent they were dissatisfied by the quality of press coverage. The name of the ``prominent French journalist'' quoted in the article was withheld at the last minute at the journalist's behest.

The criticism over organisation is levelled only at events held at the Sorbonne. I have described most other events as being ``admirably organised''. The rooms at the Sorbonne could hold no more than 80 persons at a pinch.

At least that number were turned away for lack of space. Surely, bigger rooms could have been forseen for an event of such importance?

Mr Marion's attempt to cover up obvious conflict of interest on the part of his Literary Adviser is contradicted by quotes from top officials in his own organisation.

As for his allegations about my own concern for transparency, I would like to say that there is no conflict of interest on my side since I was in no way involved either in organising an event or choosing authors or recommending authors to be invited to this particular festival or any other literary event.

While I have recommended authors for translation whose books would be of interest to the French reader, I am not on the payroll of any French or other publisher nor do I have a contractual agreement with any French or other publisher.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

International

Stories in this Section

N. Korea to expel IAEA inspectors

Blast rocks Grozny; 30 dead

Russia, Iran to expand nuclear cooperation

No change in Kashmir policy: Pak.

'A strange outing'

Sri Lanka justifies radio equipment import

A.P., Singapore sign 4 MoUs