Category Archives: adivaani specials

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Ruby Hembrom at the Jaipur Literature Festival 2016

JaipurLit

Join Ruby, adivaani’s Executive Director, at the following sessions:

1. Jaipur BookMark, Thursday, January 21, 2016
Time: 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm
Session No.: 2 (Main Stage)
Session Name: An Indian Reader
Speakers: Nirmal Kanti Bhattacharjee, Rita Kothari, Jerry Pinto, Shailesh Bharatwasi and Ruby Hembrom in conversation with Manisha Chaudhry

2. Jaipur Literature Festival, Saturday, January 23, 2016
Time: 3:45 pm to 4:45 pm
Session No.: 98 (Baithak)
Session Name: Adivaani: The Indigenous Literature of India
Speakers: Hari Ram Meena, Ruby Hembrom and Peter Anderson in conversation with Mohini Gupta

3. Jaipur Literature Festival, Saturday, January 23, 2016
Time: 5:15 pm to 6:15 pm
Session No.: 103 (Mughal Tent)
Session Name: A Room of One’s Own
Speakers: Ila Arab Mehta, Anuradha Roy, Ira Pande, Alka Saraogi, Ruby Hembrom in conversation with Anjum Hasan, introduced by Namita Gokhale.

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Adivaani and Tribal Intellectual Collective India’s first book is out!

Earlier this year adivaani and the Tribal Intellectual Collective India’s paths crossed. Conversations turned to collaborations and the plans to co-host their First National Congress, in Shillong in September 2015 were consolidated. Not only that; ideas to produce books together were also explored and formalized. The first product from this association is a series: Tribal and Adivasi Studies: Perspectives from Within.

Adivaani and Tribal Intellectual Collective India is very proud to present its first title of that series: Identities and their struggles in North East (volume 2).

We very fittingly released the book at the First National Congress in Shillong on the 18th September, 2015 at the inaugural session of the two day event.

Here are some snapshots from the book release, the congress and the tribal and adivasi scholars and postgraduate students…

From left to right: Dr. Alex Akhup (Editor of the volume), Prof. Virginius Xaxa (Convener, Tribal Intellectual Collective India), Prof. Bipin Jojo (Member, Editorial Board, Journal of Tribal Intellectual Collective India), John F. Kharshiing (Chairman, Grand Council of Chiefs, Meghalaya), Ruby Hembrom, (Director, adivaani), Prof. Xavier Mao (Department of Philosophy, NEHU, Shillong). Photo by John Minz.

The sales table

Ruby speaking at the Plenary of the Tribal Intellectual Collective India National Congress

The participants…

You can buy the book at our regular venues…

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Disaibon Hul: Printed Children’s Book of the year

Our children’s book on the Santal Rebellion of 1855-57 Disaibon Hul wins the Printed Children’s Book of the Year at the Publishing Next Industry Awards 2015. To everyone who helped make the book and everyone who has read it, our heartfelt gratitude. Congratulations Saheb Ram Tudu and many thanks to CDC Printers for bringing alive the vision of the book on paper and Sarini and the Tribal Cultural Heritage in India Foundation for support in realizing the project. Here’s the link to the jury for the awards.

Disaibon Hul

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Adivasi PICKLE 2014: A call by Rejina Marandi

Adivasi Pickle

adivasi PICKLE is an interesting platform to bring forth the oral knowledge of Adivasi people in the written form. There are several stories, which have slipped out of the minds of people or have been suppressed inside, and this determines who we are today. History is important hence, it is important to engage with adivasi PICKLE and leave behind a story. And this story will tomorrow be regarded as history.

Language might be barrier for many of us but adivaani’s Director Ruby Hembrom says,“Language should no longer stop us to write, we should express our knowledge in whatsoever language or skill we possess. This venture is a joint effort of the author and the publishers where they work hand in hand to produce the best out of the raw.

In the first effort of adivasi PICKLE 2013, I was given one year to complete the book. When I sent them my first draft, the publishers read it, edited it and provided suggestions where I got the chance to re-think and modify my writings. It was indeed a new experience to get into the world of literature which I had never thought before.

Yes, we all enjoyed the venture and celebrated the fruits of it amidst many intellectuals, well wishers, media persons and near and dear ones. Hoping to see more than that from the upcoming 2014 edition. I wish all the participants the very best. If you are still holding on to a story; just send it in as an entry.

Thanks to adivaani for this amazing platform, the reward, recognition and the lasting memories.

Best wishes,

Rejina Marandi

Last call to participate in adivasi PICKLE 2014.

LAST DATE TO ENTER COMPETITION: 31st December, 2014.

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Release of Becoming me, our first Adivasi PICKLE book

The first edition of Adivasi PICKLE has formally and successfully come to an end.

Becoming Me by Rejina Marandi was released on Saturday, the 25th of October, 2014 at the author’s hometown in Assam.

The event was a celebration of stories, storytelling and storytellers soaked in Adivasi flavours.

The Forest Guest House Campus, Srirampur, Santal Colony, Kokrajhar District was the venue and the open air setting amidst trees made for an event befitting Adivasis’ love for nature. Sadri and Santali music played through the sound systems setting the stage for festivity.

Guests—family, friends, dignitaries, activists, journalists, well-wishers arrived from all corners of Assam, some even taking a train journey to share in Rejina’s grand day. Welcomed in traditional ways by washing of feet and being gifted a panchi; we felt at home.

Rejina looked lovely in her traditional Santali clothes. It was such a proud moment to unwrap her books from the panchi that held them together and unveil it to everyone present.

She says Becoming Me is her part of the effort to transform oral tradition to the written form. “Today’s Present is tomorrow’s History. So, let each one of us start sharing our part of the story in the written form”, she said.

adivaani thanks ASSU (All Santal Student’s Union), ASSAA (All Adivasi Students’ Association of Assam), Wilson Hansda and Rejina Marandi for putting this book release event together so beautifully and everyone who addressed the gathering and attended it.

Congratulations once again to Rejina Marandi! May our stories travel far and wide.

 

Click on any of the photographs to view the entire gallery.

 

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Frankfurt Book Fair 2014

Frankfurt Book Fair

Just to share with you that Ruby Hembrom, adivaani’s founding director and storyteller is on her way to attend the Frankfurt Book Fair—the biggest confluence of the publishing world. She’s traveling as a guest of the Visitors Program of the Federal Republic of Germany.

This is an exciting time for adivaani—for such a young publishing venture to partake of and experience this event.

Our gratitude to everyone at the German Consulate in Kolkata for extending this invite to us.

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Banam Raja, exploring our musical roots

adivaani has taken its archiving work to include documentary films now. Banam Raja is our first production exploring Adivasi musical traditions.
At the end of the day, Santals return to music to become whole again. They bring out their instruments into the courtyard and music, lyrics and song turn into stars in the night sky. Our musical traditions are millennial.
The banam is a stringed instrument. Banams are the lutes and the fiddles of the Santal people. They are made from locally available material–wood, vegetables and animal hide. The most common banams still made and played by Santals are the Dhodro Banam, the Reta Banam and the Phentor Banam.
This video is a tribute to our artists, who have kept our culture alive through generations.

 

During the process of filming we were able to record some songs by Santal musicians. Here’s a sample of their joy and pride in music—unrehearsed and performed in natural surroundings.