HCMC – ‘Encounter’ Presents Two Lectures by Inrasara

First lecture: The mystery of Cham, an ancient journey | Tue 08 Apr 2014, 6.30 pm
Room NZ0903 (9th Floor)
Second lecture: Open spirit – the Islam of Cham in Vietnam | Thu 10 Apr 2014, 6.30 pm
Rm NZ0204 (2nd Floor)
Hoa Sen University

From the organizer:

Inrasara will unpack the history of the three ancient kingdoms of Vietnam, to remark on why history must acknowledge not only the dominant narratives of the past, but also the smaller, ethnic narratives that are equally significant to the union of a people, of a community, of a nation.

First lecture: The mystery of Cham, an ancient journey

Inrasara will share his research, such as the contribution of the Cham to Vietnamese culture from ancient marine culture during the Champa Kingdom (7th Century-1832), which gives brilliant illustration of these regions connections to present day Japan and Malaysia; to the moral tales of Che Bong Nga and Harok Kah whose folklore to this day provide caution against greed and self-indulgence, to name but a few tales. For Inrasara, uncovering myths and the integrity of literature is to recognize their value in providing meaning and guidance to contemporary life.

Second lecture: Open spirit – the Islam of Cham in Vietnam

The Champa Kingdom (7th Century-1832) expressed great harmony between different faith and peoples. This kingdom was one of three ancient kingdoms in Vietnam, though it is sadly often overlooked for its significance to contemporary understandings of this country. Under the Cham, Vedic Brahmanism (ancient Hinduism), Buddhist and Islamic faith lived together, particularly evident in the architecture of its time. In this lecture, Inrasara will focus on the role of Islam in the open ethos of the Cham, particularly how its beliefs provided means for openness towards difference. He will share the stories of ancient trade of the gypsies; the relationship between architecture and human behavior; questioning also why the Cham were so efficient at business and yet so markedly humble with their profits.

Inrasara was born in 1957 at Ninh Thuan province, Chaklen village, the oldest one of Cham. He started writing poems and collecting traditional literature since high school, and published his first research ‘Cham Literature Outline’ (Sorbonne CHCPI Award), as well as his first poetry collection “The tower of sunlight” (1996, Vietnam Poets Union Award) in his 40s. He also works with several intellects to publish ‘Tagalau’, a unique publication comprising of writings, collections and researches about Cham to preserve the essence of traditional culture. After 12 years in circulation, ‘Tagalau’ has brought many new writers to the national literature forum. While Inrasara works primarily with poetry, in recent years he has taken up essay and literature critique. To him, the purpose of such a “Record Critique” endeavour is to demolish the wall between literature’s ‘external’ genres with its core, fighting for the vocation of all genres for their righteous positions in literature.