Anil Ramdas
(Paramaribo, 1958 - Loenen aan de Vecht, 2012) made his debut in 2011 as a novelist with a book describing the life of Badal, a migrant who, like Ramdas himself, is an inspired, committed writer and columnist. Popular among white Dutchmen, but unread by his own people. The multicultural society and the position of the journalist are recurring subjects is his work. A writer, journalist, film, radio and television maker, Ramdas grew up in the Hindustani community in Suriname. At the end of the 1970s he came to the Netherlands to study social geography. He worked among others for De Groene Amsterdammer and as a columnist, essayist and correspondent in India for NRC Handelsblad. Ramdas made various radio and tv programmes like In Mijn Vaders Huis (In my father's house), a series of interviews on the clash between cultures and the role of science and the media. The interviews were published in book form. From 2003-2005 he was director of the debating centre De Balie in Amsterdam. In 2007 he went to live in Suriname for a year and wrote Paramaribo: de vrolijkste stad in de jungle (Paramaribo, the merriest town in the jungle, 2009), in which he takes a critical look at his native country. Since September 2010 he hosted the VPRO opinion programme Z.O.Z.He died on 16 february 2012.
(WU 2012 GR)Share this page
Archive available for: Anil Ramdas
-
Surinamese dreams
'I have a Dream!' Noraly Beyer presents three Dutch/Surinamese authors (Karin Amatmoekrim, Anil Ramdas, Sheila Sitalsing), who will read a column inspired by the famous speech by the reverend King. What do the writers expect and hope for the future of Surinam? In Dutch.
-
Forgive or Forget
Can we learn from history or is humanity doomed to go on repeating the same mistakes for ever? Did the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission bring just that or did it yield anger and division? Do Indonesia and the Netherlands suffer from amnesia concerning the black pages in their history? Forgiving and Forgetting: Anil Ramdas chairs a debate between Leila Chudori (Indonesia), Kopano Matlwa (South Africa) and Adriaan van Dis - who has ties with both Indonesia and South Africa - who talk about the most effective strategy. In English.
-
Reading with local writers from Antakya
With: Anil Ramdas, Hassan Daoud, Ramsey Nasr, Ronelda S. Kamfer
The four writers who travel on invitation of Winternachten, will perform tonight alongside local writers from the Antakya area: Sinan Seyfettinoglu, Mehmet Ali Solak, Mehmet Tekin, Duran Yasar, Kerim Donmez, Yaser Bereketoglu and Muhsin Boz. The discussion is in English, with Turkish translations. The readings of the foreign authors will be in the original languages, with projections of Turkish translations on screen.
-
Reading and panel discussion: literature and society - Antakya
With: Anil Ramdas, Hassan Daoud, Ramsey Nasr, Ronelda S. Kamfer
Ramsey Nasr, Hassan Daoud, Ronelda Kamfer and Anil Ramdas read from their literary work, and talk about the expectations they have of the influence of literature on society. As a public figure, does the writer or a poet have a more than average social responsibililty?
-
Reading in Ghetto - Istanbul
With: Anil Ramdas, Hassan Daoud, Ramsey Nasr, Ronelda S. Kamfer
Because of a bomb attack in Istanbul, the performances of Sunday afternoon were all cancelled. Therefore, an extra performance has been arranged for the writers who travel through Turkey on behalf of Winternachten. The final party of the ITEF festival in 'Ghetto' will open with readings by the Dutch/Surinamese writer Anil Ramdas, the Dutch Poet Laureate Ramsey Nasr, Hassan Daoud from Beirut and poet Ronelda Kamfer from South Africa.
-
Reading and discussion - ITEF Istanbul
With: Anil Ramdas, Hassan Daoud, Ramsey Nasr, Ronelda S. Kamfer
Four writers and poets read from their work, and discuss it before and with their audience. The language is English, the readings are in the orgininal languages, with simultaneous projection of the Turkish translations. The South-African poet Ronelda Kamfer reads her poems in Afrikaans. Writer and journalist Hassan Daoud from Lebanon will read fragments from his recent novel. The Dutch 'poet laureate' Ramsey Nasr will perform his poetry, and the Dutch/Surinamese journalist and writer Anil Ramdas will read from his essays and articles.
In D&R Etiler, Nispetiye Cad. No:17 - Etiler - Nisantasi, Istanbul. -
Writers Conference - part 2
With: Anil Ramdas, Bejan Matur, Gündüz Vassaf, Hakan Gunday, Hamdi Koç, Hassan Daoud, Melida Tüzünoglu, Ramsey Nasr, Ronelda S. Kamfer
Final session of a two day closed writer's meeting with the four writers travelling on invitation of Winternachten, and four Turkish writers: Bejan Matur, Hakan Gunday, Hamdi Koc and Melida Tuzunoglu, on the theme Global writing - global conscience. The sessions are chaired by writer Gündüz Vassaf.
-
Writers Conference - part 1
With: Anil Ramdas, Bejan Matur, Gündüz Vassaf, Hakan Gunday, Hamdi Koç, Hassan Daoud, Melida Tüzünoglu, Ramsey Nasr, Ronelda S. Kamfer
Start of a two day closed writer's meeting with the four writers travelling on invitation of Winternachten, and four Turkish writers: Bejan Matur, Hakan Gunday, Hamdi Koc and Melida Tuzunoglu, on the theme Global writing - global conscience. The sessions are chaired by writer Gündüz Vassaf.
-
Trade Winds/Passaatwinde
With: Anil Ramdas, Arthur Japin, Ellen Ombre, Henk van Woerden, Putu Wijaya
Together with the Cape Town Festival Winternachten organised the literary event Trade Winds/Passaatwinde, in the Centre for the Book, 19-22 March. Five authors from Indonesa, Suriname and Holland performed together with their South African collegues Raj Mesthrie, Lewis Nkosi, Rhoda Kadalie, Rayda Jacobs, Nigel Penn, Crain Soudien, E K M Dido, Peter Snyders, Elias Nel, Rachelle Greeff, Joan Hambidge, Etienne van Heerden, Wilma Stockenstrom, Mike Nicol and Gus Ferguson. Besides debates and readings by the writers there were films, musical performances and lectures.
-
Time of the Writer - Durban
With: Anil Ramdas, Arthur Japin, Ellen Ombre, Putu Wijaya
For the second time Winternachten co-operated with the literary festival Time of the Writer. Winternachten contributed to this international festival for prose-writers by presenting programmes with four writers from The Netherlands and historically related countries, the so-called 'Dutch Connection'. Putu Wijaya comes from Indonesië, Anil Ramdas from Suriname/Netherlands/India, Ellen Ombre from Suriname/Netherlands and Arthur Japin from the Netherlands. The writers performed on three evenings in the Elisabeth Sneddon Theatre in Durban, and in a number of programmes on schools and universities. Besides the authors from Winternachten, the participants were Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (Nigeria), Meshack Asare (Ghana), Florent Couao-Zotti (Benin), Ashwin Desai (South Africa), Carl De Souza (Mauritius), Nuruddin Farah (Somalia), Aziz Hassim (South Africa), Mahmood Mamdani (Uganda), John Matshikiza (South Africa), Es'kia Mphahlele (South Africa), Lauretta Ngcobo (South Africa), Lewis Nkosi (South Africa), Gisele Pineau (Guadeloupe), Arundhati Roy (India), Tajima Shinji (Japan), and Binyavanga Wainaina (Kenya).
