Crafting the Word - Writings from Manipur

Manipur has a rich tradition of folk and oral narratives, as well as written texts dating from as early as in eighth century AD. But it was only in the second half of the twentieth century that women began writing and publishing their works. Today, women's writing forms a vibrant part of Manipuri literature, and their voices are amplified through their coming together as an all-woman literary group. Put together in discussions and workshops by Thingnam Anjulika Samom, Crafting the Word captures a region steeped in conservative patriarchy and at the center of an armed conflict. It is also a place, however, where women’s activism has been at the forefront of peace-making and where their contributions in informal commerce and trade hold together the economy of daily life.

Manipur are o bogata traditie de naratiuni populare si orale, precum si texte scrise datand inca din secolul al VIII-lea d.Hr. Dar abia in a doua jumatate a secolului al XX-lea femeile au inceput sa scrie si sa-si publice lucrarile. Astazi, scrierea femeilor formeaza o parte vibranta a literaturii Manipuri, iar vocile lor sunt amplificate prin adunarea lor ca grup literar exclusiv pentru femei.