Professor Bill Ashcroft Delivers a Talk on ‘Resistance, Creativity and Transformation’

Aligarh : The Raleigh Literary Society, Department of English, Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) organised a lecture by Professor Bill Ashcroft, renowned critic and theorist from the University of New South Wales, Sydney.

Speaking on “Resistance, Creativity and Transformation”, Prof. Ashcroft, a pioneer of post-colonial theory, and co-author of The Empire Writes Back, explored the critical realm at the intersection of resistance, creativity, and transformation.

He emphasized the intrinsic relationship between transformation and resistance, asserting that transformation is an act of resistance, and oriented towards a utopian future. He posited that ‘stepping beyond’ the confines of the familiar world fosters hope through creativity.

Prof. Ashcroft engaged with the works of the artists Lin Onus, and Larissa Sansour, to illustrate his propositions. Highlighting the confluence of past, present, and future in creative endeavors, he drew parallels to the Palestinian revolution, illustrating how these elements converge to create transformative narratives. He concluded by asserting that creative works are inherently revolutionary, and that no future can be achieved unless it is first imagined.

Earlier, Prof. Mohammad Asim Siddiqui, Chairperson of the Department highlighted the relevance of Prof Ashcroft’s talk in the context of the Department of English’s long journey from canon-based courses to the inclusion of post-colonial literature and literatures in English translation, where his work is of crucial importance.

The programme was coordinated by Mr. Md Danish Iqbal, while Dr. Mohammad Bilal conducted the programme, with a lot of background work done by Dr. Siddhartha Chakraborti, Juveria Asif, Neha Singh and Athira.

Dr. Adiba Faiyaz proposed the vote of thanks and expressed gratitude on behalf of the Department and the Raleigh Literary Society.