Nestled amidst the city's rich cultural tapestry, and right next to WCC, is the Madras Literary Society, a cherished abode of knowledge and intellectual discourse for over a century.
On the 26th of August 2023, as the evening waned, I made my way to the Society to gather details for my report. A lady with a couple of books in her hand welcomed me with an acknowledging nod. "I studied here too!" she said, taking a look at my ID. She enquired about the English department and even recalled a few of the teachers working there now, who were her juniors back then. She was Ms. Rashmi Ruth Devadasan, Director and Writer at Blaft Publications. She was that week's host for a discussion centered on the horror genre in literature.
While I waited for the meeting to begin, I took a leisurely look around. The Librarian, who has been in the post for over 30 years, gazed at me and smiled, with her head between the postbox and a set of handmade calendars propped on the counter. Behind her the walls were ornamented with old letters sent to the society by Subhash Chandra Bose, Annie Besant and many other significant people. There were also rare postcards encased in a frame along with artwork.
Outside on the porch, the paint was peeling off in certain places. On the right side of the entrance were a few vibrant displays for the Madras Day Celebration. Within its walls, the Society houses an extensive collection of books, manuscripts, and periodicals that span diverse genres and eras, making it a treasure trove for literary research and exploration.
The meeting started around four and members from diverse backgrounds, including professors, authors, and students, slowly gathered in the Society's reading room. The air was filled with camaraderie, as the forty to fifty participants sat together to engage in stimulating discussions and share their literary musings. It reminded me that even in the fast-paced modern world, there is solace and inspiration to be found in the pages of a book and in the company of fellow literary enthusiasts.
The Madras Literary Society also invites renowned authors, poets, and scholars to deliver lectures and readings, to spark discourses on culture, literature, artforms etc. That Saturday, an Indian film writer and director, Mr. Millind Rau, known for the Tamil horror film Aval, and Mr. Rakesh Khanna, Co-founder and Editor-in-chief at the Blaft Publications, were the honored guests. For the next hour, everyone present there sat engrossed in their conversation about the evolution of the horror genre. Popular works across the world, current trends and issues pertaining to the genre were discussed extensively. "Horror is an exploration of your deepest fears, told as a story," Mr. Rakesh Khanna told the audience sitting around him in a semicircle.
Once in a while, someone in the audience would add his/her inputs. There were questions about sentiments in the horror genre, quality of Indian horror films and the presence of occult in daily life. At the end of the session, people flocked around the books displayed by the publisher. The display table on the porch was covered by translated Tamil pulp fiction and folklore revolving around horror. The Librarian handed over free postcards in which we could stamp any of their unusual stampheads. One by one the small gathering disbanded. As the Society's doors closed for the day, the conversations and ideas sparked within its walls continued to reverberate, shaping the literary landscape of the city for years to come. On the second Saturday of each month, the Society's archaic halls come alive with the vibrant exchange of ideas, as literary aficionados gather to partake in the literary meetings that have become a revered tradition.
A glimpse of the reading hall and the display for the Madras Week Celebration