Burns Night at the Bakehouse

Saturday January 22nd 2011

Bashabi Fraser

BASHABI FRASER was born in West Bengal in India. Her books include Just One Diwali Night, Tartan & Turban, Topsy Turvy & A Meeting of Two Minds, Geddes Tagore Letters and From The Ganges to The Tay.

Dr Fraser’s research and writing reflect her interest in diasporic themes: the inter-meshing of culture and identity, of dislocation and relocation, of belonging and otherness, of memory and nostalgia, conflicts and freedoms. Her special interest is in the life stories of Scots in India which makes her an unconventional but intriguing choice for Burns Night at the Bakehouse and introduces our ‘Homelands’ series with a hint of curry in our haggis.

‘In the art of Bashabi Fraser the cultures of India and Scotland richly blend, and in this magnificent poem the two living traditions speak to each other through the riverine oracles of the Ganges and Tay.’ RICHARD HOLLOWAY

‘A rich blend of mythical, historical and geographical storytelling, her work explores aspects of India and Scotland from a radically unusual perspective, paying tribute to the close links between both post-colonial nations.’ MARIO RELICH

 

“Homelands” is a short  series of readings and associated workshops with poets from foreign countries seeking to make Scotland their home.