CLIMATE TALKS


More than two decades of involvement with climate change activism beginning with a stint as a climate change advocate at the United Nations (UNCSD, New York) as Southern Coordinator of the UN NGO Caucus on Energy and Climate Change and other roles while simultaneously campaigning for ozone and climate-friendly technologies. Here is a partial list of Rajat Chaudhuri's talks, lectures and other public engagements on climate change, cli-fi, climate change fiction, sustainability, scifi and allied topics. More details in BIO page of this website.

  • Rajat Chaudhuri presented a solarpunk short story at the Festival of Letters organised by Sahitya Akademi, the National Academy of Letters of India. (March 2024) Images below.
  • Rajat Chaudhuri spoke on `Reading Climate Fiction to Communicate Climate Change' and delivered a cli-fi writing workshop at NSHM Colleges as part of the International Conference organised by NSHM. (poster and pictures below) (29 Feb, 2024) 
  • `Future of the Past -- An Indo-Swedish Book Adda' Rajat Chaudhuri, Neela Majumdar (Earth Day Network) and David Isaksson (Global Bar), to speak on climate change, cli-fi and possible futures at a bookstore event. (poster below) (24 Feb, 2024)
  • Rajat Chaudhuri presented two sessions on `Environmental Education, Literature and Climate Action' at the University Grants Commission (UGC) mandated Faculty Induction Programmme for new faculty of Indian colleges and universities. The programme is being coordinated and offered by the National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration. (14-15 March, 2024) (Posters and notice below)
  • News about the climate fiction panel at Apeejay Kolkata Literary Festival (screengrab below) (News) (Telegraph image below) (Another news link)
  • Rajat Chaudhuri will be speaking at two panels at the Apeejay Kolkata Literary Festival, one on climate fiction and the other on dystopias. (2024)  (posters below)
  • Book Release of Spellcasters and Q&A with Dr. Subhadeep Paul at Centre for Foreign Languages, Bankura University on the occasion of  an international workshop on Climate Fiction. (Dec, 2023) (Images below) (December 2023)
  • Keynote address at the International conference: `De-scribing Non-Human futures - Critiquing Agency for the Post-Anthropocene' at the Centre for Research in Post-Humanities,Bankura University (September 2023)  
  • Presentation `Introduction to Climate Fiction' and a climate fiction writing workshop at Indus Valley World School Lit-A-Thon (Sept 2023)
  • Keynote address on climate-fiction (cli-fi) at the multi-disciplinary Cli-fi Weave 2023 event organised by Storiculture and Earthbound. (September 2023)
  • Workshop on creative writing and climate fiction followed by seed-bomb making and guerilla gardening, Centre for Language and Communication, NSHM and Earthmates eco club. Report in The Telegraph.
  • Enhancing English Language Teaching Skills for School Teachers - Resource person (for the topic Teaching eco-texts and climate fiction in schoolsat the Faculty Development Programme organised by Centre for Language and Communication (CLC) of NSHM college. (July 2023)
  • Lecture about climate change and literature - `The Reading Room at Dusk' at English Literary Society, St Stephen's College (Delhi University) - (April, 2023) Announcement at page end.
  • Rajat Chaudhuri spoke about climate fiction (cli-fi) and climate change activism in a conversation with students at the CLC Conversations, NSHM Knowledge Campus, Kolkata. (2022) (Video on Facebook) (YouTube)
  • Rajat Chaudhuri interviewed by Y-East for their `Kolkata Movers' initiative (Moving Kolkata Kolkata Moving) with Techno India to interview hundred individuals working for a safer, better, environment-friendly Kolkata. (2022) (Video below this list) 
  • `Conversation with author' Rajat Chaudhuri with students of the English Department, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (USA) about his novel The Butterfly Effect. (31st October, 2022) where the book is part of the English syllabus.
  • Lecture with Q&A, Rajat Chaudhuri's `Sunburnt Stories -- Climate and Literature', lecture, University of Oxford, UK (November, 2021) Screenshots at page end. 
  • Lecture about climate change in fiction, Miranda House College (Delhi University) - (April, 2022) Announcement at page end.
  • Talk: An ecocritical reading of the novels and short stories of noted Bengali Indian author Anita Agnihotri (Khoj Sahitya Puroskar Anusthan, Lalgola, Murshidabad, West Bengal) (Feb 2022) (In Bengali, Image at page end)
  • Presenting a paper (New Directions in Indian SciFi-Anthropocene, Soalrpunk) at a symposium on Science Fiction and Fantasy in Post-Independence India at the Festival of Letters organised by Sahitya Akademi (National Academy of Letters)  (March 2022, English)
  • Moderating a panel on Cli-fi at the Green Litfest (Green Literature Festival) - The Age and Rage of Climate Fiction (December, 2021) Banner at page end. 
  • Seminar Roundtable, `Contemporary Cultures of Writing - Seminar Series Autumn 2021 - Climate change and creativity', Open University, UK (October, 2021) Watch a recording of this event at the School of Advanced Studies (University of London) website here.
  • Living Climate Change -- Panel discussion (Fireside chat) with Fridays for Future (July 25, 2021) and Fridays for Future MAPA, about climate change, storytelling and our cli-fi video game -- Survive the Century
  • Presentation at Sahitya Akademi (National Academy of Letters, Ministry of Culture, Govt of India) (July 23, 2021) about Indian short fiction. `From Firelit Fables to Fighting the Fire' (about climate change fiction). Sahitya Akademi Webline Series. 
  • Presentation on storytelling and sustainable food futures (RIHN, Kyoto, Japan, Jan 2021) 
  • Prof Ivy George Andrews Memorial Lecture 2020 titled, `Sunburnt Stories' Climate and Literature. October 30, St Joseph's College for Women, Alappuzha, Kerala.
  • Interview with Writers Rebel of Extinction Rebellion, UK about climate fiction and better futures. (October 2020)
  • Various talks and workshops on climate change fiction (cli-fi) at the National Library of India. (2018-2020, Images below)
  • Keynote address about climate change in fiction at St Andrews College (Mumbai) - `Sunburnt Stories' Climate and Literature. (October 30, 2019) 

Video clips of some talks can be found on this YouTube Playlist 

Video clips and images from climate change and climate fiction (cli-fi) related talks, workshops and climate poetry readings below.

Rajat Chaudhuri and other writers from different Indian languages, Babasaheb Parit (Marathi), Anita Panda(Odia) and Kuppili Padma (Telugu) at Sahitya Akademi's Festival of Letters 2024

Rajat Chaudhuri reads a short story at Sahitya Akademi's festival of Letters 2024. Pic credit: Sahitya Akademi (National Academy of Letters, India) 

Faculty Induction Programme organised by NIEPA


Rajat Chaudhuri's lecture at NIEPA, FIP

Participants at the NSHM Knowledge Campus International Conference (2024)

Rajat Chaudhuri will be speaking about `Reading Climate Fiction to Communicate Climate Change' at NSHM Knowledge Campus, February 2024


Rajat Chaudhuri speaking about `Reading Climate Fiction to Communicate Climate Change' at NSHM Knowledge Campus


Programme schedule, NSHM international conference

Rajat Chaudhuri speaking about `Reading Climate Fiction to Communicate Climate Change' at NSHM Knowledge Campus




David Isaksson (Global Bar, Stockholm), Rajat Chaudhuri and Neela Majumdar of Earth Day at Future of the Past - a panel on climate, history, activism and possible futures 


AKLF Climate Fiction panel with Dia Mirza, Bittu Sahgal, Neela Majumdar, Gargi Rawat and Rajat Chaudhuri 







News about climate fiction panel at Apeejapy Kolkata Literary Festival 2024

Rajat Chaudhuri delivers a keynote on non-human futures at the Centre for Research in Posthumanities, Bankura University
Rajat Chaudhuri delivers a keynote on non-human futures at the Centre for Research in Posthumanities, Bankura University 

Indus Valley World School-Lit-A-Thon: Rajat Chaudhuri's session on climate fiction

Rajat Chaudhuri's creative writing workshop and a solarpunk guerilla gardening initiative at NSHM (The Telegraph report)
Rajat Chaudhuri's creative writing workshop and a solarpunk guerilla gardening initiative at NSHM (The Telegraph report)

Rajat Chaudhuri at the workshop on creative writing and climate change, CLC, NSHM, Kolakata (August 2023)



Workshop on creative writing and cli-fi, CLC, NSHM, Kolkata and Earthmates

International conference, Centre for Research in Post-Humanities, Bankura University (forthcoming, Sept '23)


Rajat Chaudhuri speaks (Teaching Eco-texts and climate fiction in schools) at the Faculty Development Programme
for school teachers organised by CLC, NSHM.  


Rajat Chaudhuri interviewed by Y-East/Techno India 
for their `Moving Kolkata, Kolkata' Moving project.

Rajat Chaudhuri speaks about climate change and literature for English Literary Society, St Stephen's College, Delhi university

 

Centre for Language and Communication (CLC) Conversations with Rajat Chaudhuri about climate fiction (cli-fi) and climate change at NSHM, Knowledge Campus
Green LitFest (Green Literature Festival) header banner from https://greenlitfest.com/

Cli-fi panel at Green LitFest (Green Literature Festival) 


Rajat Chaudhuri lectures for a Climate and Literature (cli-fi) course at University of Oxford (screenshot)

Rajat Chaudhuri discusses climate and literature (cli-fi) following his University of Oxford lecture (screenshot)
Rajat Chaudhuri presents about sustainable futures in fiction at George Washington University (USA) as part of an ICA event. (2019) 

Rajat Chaudhuri speaks about climate change fiction
at National Library of India(2020)

Rajat Chaudhuri conducting a workshop about climate change 
and climate fiction for schoolchildren with National Library of India(2020)

Rajat Chaudhuri conducting a virtual workshop about climate change 
and climate fiction for schoolchildren with National Library of India(2020) 

Rajat Chaudhuri presets at the RIHN (Kyoto, Japan) 15th international symposium on storytelling and sustainable food futures (2021)


Rajat Chaudhuri delivering the Ivy George Andrews Memorial lecture, St Joseph's College, Alappuzha, Kerala  

Rajat Chaudhuri reads a climate change poem of Novera Hossain
translated by him from the Bengali (2020)

Rajat Chaudhuri delivering a keynote address about climate change fiction at St Andrews College, Mumbai (2019)
Rajat Chaudhuri presenting about imagining sustainable futures at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (2019)
Rajat Chaudhuri speaks of cyclone Amphan and climate change (May, 2020)
Sunburnt Stories - Rajat Chaudhuri speaks about the literature of climate change with SwapBook bookclub, Mumbai. (Aug, 2020)

Rajat Chaudhuri to deliver the Prof Ivy George Andrews Memorial Lecture, St Thomas College, Kerala

Panel discussion with Fridays for Future 

Panel discussion with Fridays for Future 


Panel discussion with Fridays for Future 



Sahitya Akademi (National Academy of Letters)
- Symposium on Indian Short Fiction. Rajat Chaudhuri speaks about climate fiction 

Fireside chat: Panel discussion with Fridays for Future about our climate change video game `Survive the Century' alongside game creators (Facebook screengrab)


Rajat Chaudhuri speaks at the panel discussion with Fridays for Future about the climate change video game `Survive the Century' alongside game creators and activists (Facebook screengrab)
Rajat Chaudhuri's talk about an ecocritical reading of the novels and short stories of Anita Agnihotri (Khoj Sahitya Gosthi)


Climate and Literature talk at Miranda House (Announcement)

Reviews of Spellcasters

Chaudhuri's prose is lucid; unexpected twists inform this part psycho-logical thriller and part climate fiction.' The Telegraph


Reviews of Multispecies Cities

Listed in `The Definitive Climate Fiction Reading List’' Grist (US)

`Joyously ambitious solarpunk ... excels when entwining relational nuance with keenly handled futurist ideas ... number of gems for fans of climate fiction' Publishers Weekly

`Filled with a polyphony of voices ... Engaging introduction' Leanne Ogasawara, Books on Asia (Japan)


Reviews of The Great Bengali Poetry Underground

`Excellent translation ... Hard to find flavour of a culture in ferment' Scroll

`Translator seems to have masterfully reproduced in English the sting and beat of the original Bengali versions' Indian Literature journal (Sahitya Akademi)

`What comes across in the translations, from the very beginning, are the poems' distinctive Bengali origin' Daily Star (Bangladesh)

`Social-existential cares are interwoven with allusions to local or national issues ... will subtly shift our perception as to the currents of Bengali underground poetry' New Indian Express


Reviews of Calcutta Nights

`Masterfully translated' The Telegraph

`Important from the point of view of culture studies' Indian Literature journal

`Fascinating as a document of the 20th century city'  Trisha Gupta, India Today

`Flawless translation ... retains racy flavour' Sajni Mukherji, Outlook magazine

`Translator craftily balances archaic words with new ones, never upsetting the tonal authenticity of a period piece.' Scroll

`A unique cosmopolitan setting' Business Standard

`Excellent translation ... a crisp read' Ganesh Saili, New Indian Express

`A tale of beauty and decadence' South China Morning Post

`Interesting ... for readers interested in history and the Asian experience of transition to modernity.' Asian Review of Books, Hong Kong

`A guidebook to the dark dens of eeriness' Press Trust of India (PTI)

`What a punch this little volume packs' India Abroad News Service of India (IANS)


Reviews of The Butterfly Effect

`Propels the accumulated anxieties of a city into a shape-shifting future vortex' Anjana Basu, Outlook magazine 

`Explores a Ballardian near-future' Amy Brady, Words Without Borders

`Genre-bending' Amy Brady, Houston Chronicle, USA

`Projects the tropes of a new politics of imagination ... a new eco-sophy is created'Krishnan Unni. P, Indian Literature, Sahitya Akademi 

`Indian novel's story parallels the deadly coronavirus outbreak' Times of India (news)

`Compelling' UNI

`A magic box ... brings Allan Poe to mind' Scroll

`Ten Works of Environmental Literature from Around the World' Book Riot, USA(listing)

`A wild ride, with brilliant and Ballardian descriptions' Eco-fiction

`Vivid storytelling dovetails with a playful structure' Bengaluru Review

`Fifty Must-Read Novels about Eco-Disaster' Book Riot, USA (listing)

`Around the World in 80 Books' Dragonfly Ecofiction (listing)


Reviews of The Best Asian Speculative Fiction

`A necessary and successful conglomerate' The Telegraph

`An important contribution to an ever-expanding and dynamic literary form' Southeast Asian Review of English (SARE), Malaysia

`More than just fantasy' Pune Mirror-Times of India (listing) 

`South Asian Studies Summer Reading List', Prof Mou Banerjee, University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA (listing) 


Reviews of Hotel Calcutta

`Sheer power of storytelling' The Telegraph

`A persuasive artist...Hotel Calcutta invites a hungry, urgent reading' Asian Review of Books

`A very innovative frame story' Journal of Commonwealth Literature

`An astounding work that interrogates the myriad surfaces of reality' Indian Literature, Sahitya Akademi

`A dazzling "wall of stories" in Calcutta' The Sunday Guardian

`Very urban and 21st century' Sanjukta Dasgupta

`Chaudhuri tells us something also of the 'art' of the story.' Anu Kumar, The Thumb Print Magazine

`A web both classical and new.' Spark Magazine

`A writer to watch out for' Sushma Joshi, Kitaab

`His themes reveal a deep fascination with human response to the extraordinary’ Helter Skelter

Goodreads


Reviews of Calculus

`Might set a new trend in fiction writing' (in Bengali) Ekak Matra

Reviews of Amber Dusk

`A heady mix of experiences' The Telegraph  

`A memorable novel of East-West encounter' Amitava Roy 

`Another type of writing emerging within Indian English writing' Indian Literature, Sahitya Akademi (JSTOR)

`Praised for its evocation of Calcutta and Paris' Journal of Commonwealth Literature 

`Surrealism explored ... A gifted writer of fiction' Deccan Herald  

`A delicately crafted story about love, loathing and the quest for peace in a time of intolerance' The Statesman  





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