Deepa Bhasthi to deliver lecture at MU

Mangaluru: Booker Prize–winning translator and writer Deepa Bhasthi, an alumna of Mangalore University, will return to the university’s public platform for the first time since receiving the award, when she delivers a special lecture in Mangaluru on Tuesday.

Bhasthi will speak on 'Thinking as Dissent: Some Thoughts on Language and the World.' Organisers said the lecture will focus on the relationship between language, culture and identity, and examine how diversity and dissent operate in contemporary public life. The session is expected to explore how language shapes civic debate, influences social relationships and frames ideas, while also reflecting on the responsibilities of writers and readers in difficult and uncertain times.

The programme, part of the annual PP Gomathi Memorial Lecture Series-2026, is being organised by PP Gomathi Memorial Education Trust, Mangaluru, in association with Mangalore University, the Dakshina Kannada Zilla Kannada Sahitya Parishat and the Dakshina Kannada District Working Journalists’ Association. The lecture will be held at the Kudmul Ranga Rao Town Hall, Mangaluru.

Addressing a press conference in the city on Friday, Mangalore University vice-chancellor PL Dharma said the event is expected to attract students, teachers, writers, journalists and readers from across Dakshina Kannada. He said the university was proud of Bhasthi’s international recognition, and described her achievement as a source of motivation for current students.

Dharma noted that Bhasthi studied at Mangalore University and completed her postgraduate degree in mass communication and journalism. Recalling interacting with Bhasthi during her time on campus, he said she was calm, attentive and regularly involved in departmental activities, adding that her return for the memorial lecture was significant for the university community.

Speaking on the larger aims of the lecture series, Dharma referred to the need for conversations around “literature diplomacy,” describing reading and writing as avenues to rebuild relationships strained across personal, social and cultural contexts. Organisers said the memorial lecture series is intended to strengthen students’ interest in reading and writing, and encourage them to develop broader perspectives while identifying themes for critical and creative engagement.

The lecture will be presided over by Prof Dharma, with participation expected from writers, academics and literature enthusiasts. Dharma added that this event aims to restitch those broken relationships in society due to various factors. On the occasion, Bhasthi’s work as a student at Mangalagangothri will be displayed.

Those present at the press conference included Dr B Srinivas Kakkillaya of the PP Gomathi Education Trust and Pushparaj BN, president of the Dakshina Kannada District Working Journalists’ Association.