Goethe Darbaar | Penning Laughter: A Humorous take on Contemporary Indian Society

Why is humour such a valuable tool for examining and depicting people and society? What sets apart Indian humour writing? Who can be seen as the successors to the comedic legacies of PG Wodehouse and RK Narayan in contemporary times? Should humor be classified as its own literary genre or is it an integral aspect of nearly all literary works today?

Khyrunnisa A. and Aravind Jayan, distinguished authors renowned for their wit and humour across generations, showcase remarkable talent. Through their comedic storytelling, they provide fresh insights into individual behaviours and societal structures, encouraging readers to see them from novel angles. These topics, coupled with personal insights, will be delved into during discussions with our moderator Rishi Majumder.

Day/Date: Friday, 22.03.2024
Time: 6 PM
Venue: Goethe-Institut / Max Mueller Bhavan New Delhi

Artists

© Khyrunnisa A. Khyrunnisa A.
Khyrunnisa is an award-winning writer of children’s fiction and the author of the hilarious Butterfingers books. Howzzat Butterfingers! (2010) is the first novel in the series. She created the popular comic character Butterfingers for Tinkle. Her first book for adults is Tongue in Cheek: The Funny Side of Life (2019). The Lizard of Oz and Other Stories (2019), The Crocodile Who Ate Butter Chicken for Breakfast and Other Stories (2020) and Baby and Dubdub (2021) are some of her recent books. She is a full-time writer and lives in Trivandrum.

© Aravind Jayan Aravind Jayan
Aravind is a writer from Trivandrum, Kerala. He is the winner of the 2017 Toto Funds the Arts Award and was shortlisted for the Commonwealth Short Story Prize in 2021. His first novel, Teen Couple Have Fun Outdoors, was named ‘Best Book of 2022’ by Open Magazine, The Wire, Deccan Chronicle and others. It was also shortlisted for the Everyman Wodehouse Prize for Comic Fiction.

Moderator

© Rishi Majumder Rishi Majumder
Rishi Majumder is the co-founder of the creative agency Oijo and the online history project Indian History Collective. He has also been a co-producer of the global music show BalconyTV as well as a part of the team that brought it to India. He has been an editor, columnist and correspondent with various media outlets, in India and abroad, and continues to write and speak on politics, policy and culture.