Symposium 2 : Deprofessionalisation

Mission Statement, 2nd Symposium (8<sup>th</sup> and 9<sup>th</sup> January 2016): ‘Deprofessionalisation’

Mission Statement, 2nd Symposium (8th and 9th January 2016): ‘Deprofessionalisation’

The subject of the symposium is ‘de-professionalisation’ – the urge, as a creative practitioner, or, indeed, a practitioner of any kind, not to be identified with one genre or activity, and to be, in general, a critic of specialisation and a champion of dabbling...

A Note on the Second Symposium

A Note on the Second Symposium

The second symposium in what came to be called the ‘literary activism’ series of symposia was on ‘deprofessionalisation’. By this I meant, among other things, a ‘critique of specialisation’ – to express...

The Little Magazine, Between Journalism and Academia

The Little Magazine, Between Journalism and Academia

Though my intention is to talk about the function of the little magazine at the present time, I should begin by discussing a bit the little magazine where I am an editor, and what I perceive its particular role to be...

The Writer as Tramp

The Writer as Tramp

Staring at you from innumerable photographs, their glossy hair combed back, writers can seldom be mistaken for hobos or tramps. If anything, they look more like men of action than men of contemplation, more men of the mechanized army than of the manual typewriter...

The mission statement is in italics

The mission statement is in italics

The subject of the symposium is ‘de-professionalisation’ – the urge, as a creative practitioner, or, indeed, a practitioner of any kind, not to be identified with one genre or activity, and to be, in general, a critic of specialisation and a champion of dabbling...

‘Only what does not fit in can be true’: Deprofessionalisation and Academia in Adorno and Tagore

‘Only what does not fit in can be true’: Deprofessionalisation and Academia in Adorno and Tagore

I’m not an expert on Adorno; indeed, my approach to Adorno here shall embody today’s theme, in that I shall be ‘dabbling’ in areas that do not strictly belong to those I consider my own...

Time Divided: Blandishments and Fallouts

Time Divided: Blandishments and Fallouts

I find myself here at this very interesting symposium thanks to Amit’s most generous invitation and also to, I expect it follows, Amit’s reckoning that in some measure or form I exemplify the sort of persona that is referenced in the symposium’s title...

What We Do: Deprofessionalisation and Legitimacy

What We Do: Deprofessionalisation and Legitimacy

I first heard the word ‘deprofessionalised’ from Ashis Nandy, about a decade ago. In the course of conversation, he had said amiably, ‘Mushirul Hassan calls me a “deprofessionalised intellectual”.’..