The Inaugural Session

        15^th October 2012, the much awaited day, the first day of the PickWick Fest, the day when department of English, Jamia Milia Islamia, began with the inception of creating the legacy, for the generations to come, commenced with inaugural session with great zeal and enthusiasm. The event started with the head of the department, Prof. M. Asaduddin, giving an eloquent speech. His words added immense plethora and zeal to the already existing excitement and thrill. He opined, “the occasion is commemorating Charles dickens and Saadat Hasan Manto, the two literary legends of all ages. Dickens is undoubtedly more popular in india than England and Dickens being in the course of almost every university, supports my statement.” Speaking of Sadat Hasan Manto, he said,"literary life that manto spent, he wrote literary portraits, carved brilliant characters, and gave us beautiful stories to relish forever. He wrote about partition without recourse to platitude and cliché. Although it is a lapse at the university’s end for not including Manto in the course, this amendment will certainly be made very soon." Also he mentioned a conversation between him and a English honours 1^st year student. When asked what transition she was able to see in herself, she answered that before coming to Jamia she was a "frog in the well" but now she was "like a bird with growing feathers", getting ready to take a flight.

Usual serious people, loosened up!!

        Next on stage was Saumya Kulshreshtha, the student representative, who said "the brainchild of the head of department,  Prof. M. Asdudddin, the Pickwick Fest 2012 is a literary carnival which brings together under one spotlight two master story tellers from different ares, different geographical and also, different linguistic terrains. Dickens is an established name in world literature. By placing Manto in the company of this great British canonical writer, we, the department of English, Jamia Millia Islamia, are also making a statement, a statement which asserts- Good work of art should not be constraint by linguistic or geographical barriers."  The audience was then addressed by the Mr. Najeeb Jung, Vice Chancellor, Jamia Millia Islamia. He mentioned that he was extremely pleased to see the enthusiasm shown by the department of English. encouraging the students, he said that this is the time to showcase yourself and show the world the plethora of talent which the student possess. Wishing a grand success to the event, Mr. Najeeb Jung mentioned that he hopes that the tradition continues in the next years.

Mr. Najeeb Jung
Vice Chancellor

        Post the speeches,  Abhilash, student of B.A. (Hons) Eng 1^st  year, and Kaif Taqvi, student of M.A. Previous, added a creative twist to the session as they enthralled the audience with their brilliant on stage portrayal of Charles dickens and Saadat Hasan Manto, respectively.

A snap from the inaugural play

-Anamta Rizvi 

M. A. Previous