Learn the fine art of travel writing

KOCHI:Keralites are travelling more than ever before. And that too, not for making a living. The tribe of travellers has only swelled and to aid in their quest to traverse even continents, several travel groups have mushroomed. Even traversing to the frozen, inhospitable but ethereally beautiful Antarctica is no more a distant dream. But on the academic forefront, especially in Kerala, the immense possibilities of travel studies remain unexplored. And to address these issues and bring travel writing into focus, the Institute of English, University of Kerala is all set to organise a national seminar on travel writing.

The three -day seminar on ‘Narrating Travel, Mapping Identities’ will have plenary sessions on travel writing by noted academicians and travel writers. It will kick start today at the Senate Chamber, University of Kerala, Palayam. Kerala State Higher Education Council vice-chairman Rajan Gurukkal will inaugurate the seminar. The first session will be handled by professor Irudaya Rajan on ‘Mapping International Migration: Evidences from Kerala Migration Surveys 1998-2018’. Other plenary sessions and paper presentations include ‘Why Travel’; ‘Maritime Mobilities’; ‘Voyages to Modernity: 19th Century Travel Accounts by Muslim Travellers to the West’; ‘When Women Travel’; ‘A Journey to the Frozen Continent’; ‘Between the Lines of an Indian London: Writing the City in the age of Brexit’; and ‘Trouvailles from My Travels’.

“Travel writing is evolving as a major genre in academics. Foreign universities have departments on travel studies. Our literature is wealthy considering the huge collection of travelogues penned by many writers. But the focus is less on studies based on travel writing. The aim is to introduce travel writing studies in the Kerala academic circles. This is a highly relevant area which has to be focused on for research as well as PG programme,” says Lakshmi Sukumar, organising secretary of the seminar. “Moreover, it is imperative that the studies are interdisciplinary. Another focus is on breaking the travel writing free from the Anglo-centric mould,” she added.

An eclectic mix of speakers chosen from myriad streams forms part of the seminar. Morning sessions deal
with academic discussions on travel writing, wherein travel writing is considered from a research perspective whilst the evening sessions will focus on experience sharing by noted travel writers. The seminar will delve into the possibilities of academic research in travel writing and sharing of experiences by travel writers, the organisers added.