Identitti: A reading and conversation with Mithu Sanyal

A reading and discussion with Mithu M. Sanyal as part of the IGES Conference 'Shifting Constellations: Germany and Global (Dis)Order'

Mithu Sanyal’s debut novel, Identitti, explores the fallout of an explosive revelation at Düsseldorf University when it transpires that Saraswati, Professor of Postcolonial and Race Studies and self-identifying Person of Colour is, in fact, white. Alongside huge public outcry on social media, the scandal unleashes deep personal conflicts for Saraswati ’s devoted student Nivedita and her circle of friends. We are delighted to welcome Mithu Sanyal to read from her timely, best-selling novel and join IGES member Tara T. Windsor to discuss ongoing questions about aesthetics, identity and belonging in contemporary Germany and beyond.

NB - Readings will be in German with brief summaries and discussion in English. For an English synopsis of the novel’s themes, see New Books in German: Identitti.

To join the event, register on Eventbrite by 30 June 2021. This event will take place on Zoom. The Zoom link will be sent out on the day of the event.

Mithu M. Sanyal is a writer, journalist, and cultural scholar. Her fields of expertise include gender, sexuality, politics, and identity. Mithu Sanyal's first book, Vulva – die Enthüllung des unsichtbaren Geschlechts,was published in 2009, followed by Vergewaltigung - Aspekte eines Verbrechens in 2016, and her debut novel, Identitti, in 2021.

Tara T. Windsor is Research Fellow in Modern Languages at the University of Birmingham and specializes in literary and cultural politics in 20th and 21st century Germany. From September 2021, she will be Schröder Research Associate in Equality and Diversity in German Studies at the University of Cambridge.