[Reader-list] Avarna: The Colours of Success

[Navayana Publishing]

*Five Avarna Fellows and the Colours of Success *

Navayana (www.navayana.org) is proud to announce the selection of five
Avarna fellows who will be attending the Edit-Pub course at Jadavpur
University, Kolkata.

*Anjali Kispotta,* Jamshedpur, Jharkhand. She recently did her B.A. from
Delhi University. She enjoys writing, and hopes to pursue a career in the
media. Anjali feels the Edit-Pub course will help her express herself
better.

*Parul Arya,* New Delhi. A graduate from Delhi University, she is currently
a Project Manager, Aptara Pvt. Ltd., a pre-publishing company in Delhi. She
wants every Dalit to be literate and have a respectable position in society.
Parul wishes to pursue the Edit-Pub course to learn and understand every
aspect of book publishing.

*Satish C. Shambharkar*, Pune, Maharashtra. A Project Officer with Manuski
Trust, an advocacy centre in Pune, Satish wants to ensure justice to Dalits
by highlighting their issues before the national and international civil
society. Having extensively reported on the Khairlanji case for the Atrocity
News blogspot, Satish is writing a book on his experiences in reporting the
Khairlanji issue. He hopes to improve his editorial and writing skills
through the Edit-Pub course.

*Nirmal Kumar Mahato*, Purulia, West Bengal. Nirmal works in the field of
forest and water disaster management. He recently submitted his Ph.D.
dissertation, "Environment and Society of Purulia: A Study of Tribal
Identity in a Bengal District during Colonial Rule" to Viswa-Bharati
University. A part-time lecturer in history in a college in Bolpur, Nirmal
hopes to improve his editing skills with the Edit-Pub course.

*Orance Mahaldar*, Kolkata, West Bengal. He is currently pursuing a Master's
degree in Film Studies from the Jadavpur University. Orance is interested in
the publishing industry, and wishes to learn more about it through the
Edit-Pub course.
 *
Waitlisted*

M.S. Narayanan, Wayanad, Kerala. With a Masters Degree in English Literature
from Kannur University, Narayanan is pursuing a Certificate Course in
Professional Development at Centre for Research and Education for Social
Transformation (CREST), Calicut. He is looking for a career in media/
publications through which he can highlight the issues confronted by the
Dalit and marginalized communities.


Besides providing a stipend of Rs 5,000 per month and covering the course
fees, Navayana is trying to ensure day jobs and internships for the Avarna
fellows even as they do the course. Navayana's first step towards ensuring
editorial diversity in the English language publishing industry in India was
thus a success. Of the 22 valid applications received for the Avarna
fellowships at the Edit-Pub course, 12 were shortlisted and invited to
Kolkata to attend the screening test conducted by the School of Cultural
Texts and Records (SCTR), Jadavpur University.

   1. Parul Arya, New Delhi

   2. S. Narasaiah, Marrigudem, Warangal, Andhra Pradesh

   3. Orance Mahaldar, Kolkata, West Bengal

   4. Ranajit Das, Kolkata, West Bengal

   5. Jeetendra Indrekar, Tejgarh, Gujarat

   6. Narayanan M.S., Wayanad, Kerala

   7. Satish C. Shambharkar, Pune, Maharashtra

   8. Somalia Chakma, Chittagong, Bangladesh

   9. Nirmal K Mahato, Bolpur, Birbhum, West Bengal

  10. J.B. Biswokarma, Kathmandu, Nepal

  11. Anupama Nayak, Kendupada, Orissa

  12. Anjali Kispotta, Jamshedpur, Jharkhand

While Somalia Chakma could not attend because her visa was not cleared, J.B.
Biswokarma of Kathmandu met with an accident a few days before the test and
could not make it, and S. Narasaiah from Warangal was incommunicado.

The candidates arrived in Kolkata on 21 December and were hosted at Seva
Kendra.

On the morning of 22 December, the candidates were formally welcomed by S.
Anand, publisher of Navayana, who briefed them about the world of
publishing, about Navayana, and Avarna. At 9.30 a.m., a mock test in editing
was conducted to prepare the candidates for the actual test to be held at
the Jadavpur University the same evening at 5 p.m. Based on every
candidate's application for the Avarna fellowship, and their performance in
the mock test, they were told how they could improve on their language
skills and do their best in the Edit-Pub test.

At 11 a.m., Bishan Samaddar, Project Manager, Choice, spoke to the
candidates about the different career options they could pursue. Choice, run
by the Seagull Foundation for the Arts, is a youth leadership program that
aims to broaden the options in the lives and careers of India's youth and
nurture a sense of social responsibility among them. Choice facilitates
placement of interns with organizations working in the field of social
concern. This interaction was organized specifically keeping in mind those
shortlisted candidates who have a strong background in grassroots activism.


At 5 p.m, the School of Cultural Texts and Records (SCTR), Jadavpur
University, Kolkata, held a test for the candidates in basic editing and
language skills. Based on their performance in this test, five candidates
were chosen for the Avarna Fellowship. A sixth has been waitlisted.

The following day, 23 December, all the candidates paid a visit to 16,
Southern Avenue—where Mandira Sen, director, Stree/Samya, interacted with
the Avarna candidates and gave them a glimpse of how a publishing house
works. Every chair in the beautiful office was pulled out to seat the
Avarna-Navayana delegation of eleven persons. Mandira spoke about her
experiences as a publisher. Rimi B. Chatterjee, a freelance editor with
Samya-Stree, and coordinator of the Edit-Pub course, interacted with the
Avarna fellows. A sumptuous lunch – a traditional multi-course Bengali meal
that included Mochar Ghanto, Doi Mach and Mishti Doi – followed. To digest
which, the Navayana-Avarna team spent time at the Seagull Bookstore on SP
Mukherjee Road browsing a range of books that mainstream stores do not
bother to stock.

>From there, Jeetendra Indrekar an actor-activist with the Bhudan Theatre,
dialed Mahasweta Devi's number, and sought an appointment that was
immediately granted. Narayanan, having resolved he would give the Avarna
fellowship another shot next year, accompanied Jeetendra. The meeting with
the Jnanpith award winner was the highlight of the trip for the two
aspirants who could not make it as fellows.

For further queries regarding Avarna, write to Manisha Sobhrajani at
avarna.navayana at gmail.com

--
Navayana Publishing
E92 (Second Floor)
Saket
New Delhi--110017
Ph: +91 9971433117
www.navayana.org

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