Genres of Emergency: Forms of Crisis and Continuity in Indian Writing in English

Genres of Emergency explores the literary genre as a way to understand and negotiate the varied states of emergency and crisis that have become a fixture of our contemporary world. It builds on a critical study of the literature written during and about the State of Emergency declared by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in India (1975 - 1977). The study establishes emergency and its genres as an important interpretive site, tracing the tension between crisis and continuity that these genres mediate. By mobilizing literary conventions as political interventions, Emergency fiction uses the conventions of realism, epic, allegory, and the thriller to reach back in time and across cultures and languages, invoking past iterations of these genres and histories and anticipating those to come.

Format: Hardback
Length: 224 pages
Publication date: 09 February 2023
Publisher: Oxford University Press

The literary genre of emergency offers a valuable lens through which to comprehend and navigate the diverse emergencies and crises that have become an integral part of our contemporary world. Drawing upon a critical examination of the literature produced during and in the aftermath of the State of Emergency declared by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in India (1975-1977), this study establishes the genre of emergency as a significant interpretive site. It portrays a particularly violent episode as a one-time crisis that simultaneously serves as a platform for ongoing renegotiations of modern politics and culture. By delving into a wide array of English-language texts, ranging from prison memoirs to popular magazines, high-brow literary fiction to boilerplate thrillers, from the relentlessly realistic to the mythically allegorical, Genres of Emergency traces the interplay between crisis and continuity that these genres mediate.

In addressing this tension, the authors of emergency fiction take their craft seriously, employing it as a means to mobilize literary conventions as political interventions. Specifically, these novels leverage the conventions of realism, epic, allegory, and the thriller to transcend time and cultural boundaries, invoking past iterations of these genres and histories while also anticipating those to come. By combining literary criticism with cultural history, Genres of Emergency offers profound implications for the study of literary genre, the historical events recounted therein, and the politics of literary form.

Through its exploration of the genre of emergency, this study sheds light on the complex dynamics that shape our world, providing a deeper understanding of the forces that drive emergencies and crises and the ways in which literature can respond to and influence them. It serves as a reminder that literature is not merely a reflection of the times but also a powerful tool for shaping them, capable of challenging dominant narratives, promoting empathy, and fostering social change. As we navigate the increasingly uncertain and complex terrain of our contemporary world, the insights offered by Genres of Emergency offer a valuable guide for navigating the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.

Weight: 528g
Dimension: 240 x 160 x 18 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780192866196