Why have we lost the spirit of questioning handed down by the Vedas, the Upanishads, the epics?

How can we, superstition-ridden, and unable or refusing to think for ourselves, be the descendants of the writers of these works, asks novelist Shashi Deshpande

Shashi Deshpande

· Jul 25, 2021 · 08:30 am

Voltaire’s ‘Candide’ talks to us eloquently in this era of the pandemic and wild conspiracy theories

The darkly satirical 18th-century novella takes aim at human folly, pride and excessive faith in the ability of reason.

Matthew Sharpe, The Conversation

· Mar 28, 2021 · 05:30 pm

In the Shakespearean world, Hamlet is a ‘villain of genius’. Here’s why

Hamlet has somehow persuaded generations of audiences and critics that he is actually its hero.

Catherine Butler, The Conversation

· Oct 21, 2020 · 05:30 pm

The Diary of Samuel Pepys: Glimpses of a 17th century lockdown, and a mirror held up to ours

The British naval administrator tracked his mental health, paranoia and the rising death toll.

Ute Lotz-Heumann, The Conversation

· Apr 30, 2020 · 06:30 pm

Lockdown reading: Five tips on how to read Shakespeare beyond the theatre and classroom

The biggest obstacle to enjoying Shakespeare is thinking it’s a literary intelligence test.

Emma Smith, The Conversation

· Apr 29, 2020 · 05:30 pm

Nature’s rhythm and rhyme: Remembering William Wordsworth 250 years since his birth

His poetry is filled with images of flowers and woodlands, inspired by his Lake District home.

Sally Bushell, The Conversation

· Apr 13, 2020 · 05:30 pm

In ancient Greek philosophy, political leaders were seen as healers in times of crisis

How Athenian ideas shaped what we expect from our politicians today.

Eva Anagnostou-Laoutides, The Conversation

· Apr 10, 2020 · 05:30 pm

How illustrations have kept the magical appeal of ‘Robinson Crusoe’ alive for successive generations

From drawings and woodcuts to expressionist art, a variety of forms have been used to illustrate Daniel Defoe’s account of a shipwrecked sailor.

Christian Algar

· Apr 29, 2019 · 05:30 pm

In the age of Brexit, to describe Chaucer as ‘English to the core’ is to misrepresent him

The famed 14th-century author of ‘The Canterbury Tales’ is considered the epitome of Englishness but it was his internationalism that defined his writing.

Marion Turner, Aeon

· Mar 26, 2019 · 05:30 pm

How Mirza Ghalib’s ghazals traveled to America and became a part of the country’s poetic tradition

The Urdu poet died on this day, February 15, 150 years ago. A rich translation tradition has ensured his legacy lives on, even far away from home.

Manan Kapoor, Sahapedia

· Feb 15, 2019 · 05:30 pm

Why I’ve collected 15 copies (and counting) of ‘Wuthering Heights’ for my private library

How Emily Bronte’s classic novel became a ‘source text’ for a literature student.

Neha Yadav

· Feb 12, 2019 · 08:30 am

A hodgepodge of scumbags, orgies, and the breakdown of society: Also known as Juvenal’s ‘Satires’

‘...spat out in words as filthy as the vices they describe.’

Robert Cowan, The Conversation

· Jan 31, 2019 · 05:30 pm