The Hindu : New Delhi News : Awaiting a rare visitor with many hats

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Awaiting a rare visitor with many hats

Madhur Tankha

Photo: K. Bhagya Prakash

Chris Patten, British diplomat and Chancellor of Oxford University.

NEW DELHI: The second annual lecture of Penguin Books India will be delivered by British diplomat and Chancellor of Oxford and Newcastle Universities Chris Patten here on October 13.

Titled “A New Century and the Dark Side to Globalisation”, the lecture is based on Chris Patten’s forthcoming book, “What Next? Surviving the Twenty-First Century”.

Author of “East and West”, a book on Asia and its relationship with the rest of the world, and “Not Quite the Diplomat”, a memoir, Chris Patten commands deep respect on the sub-continent.

Author, diplomat and life peer in the British House of Lords, Chris Patten is making one of his rare visits to India to deliver “The Penguin Annual Lecture”. The visit coincides with the publication of his upcoming book. Published by Allen Lane (Penguin U.K.), it would be distributed in India by Penguin India.

Chris Patten has had a long and illustrious career as a politician, bureaucrat and statesman. He was the last Governor of Hong Kong (from 1992 to 1997) and was European Commissioner for External Relations from 1999 to 2004.

At present Chris Patten is the chairman of the International Crisis Group and the U.K. co-Chair of the U.K.-India Round Table.

Pointing out that the aim behind the annual lecture was to bring some of the great writers and thinkers from across the world to India, Penguin India CEO and president Mike Bryan says this is being done so that the readers in India can see and hear them in person.

“We are very happy indeed that we are going to have Chris Patten as this year’s speaker. His political and diplomatic credentials are well known across Asia and he has some special ties with India as well. In addition, he is a great orator. We can look forward to a hugely engaging and very entertaining lecture,” he adds.

The annual lecture series was launched last year as part of Penguin India’s 20th anniversary celebrations. The series will feature some of the world’s most respected leaders, thinkers and writers.

The introductory remarks to this year’s lecture will be made by former Planning Commission member N. K. Singh.

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