PENmanship

A recent report states that the Mumbai chapter of PEN, which had earlier been asked to vacate its premises on the ground floor of the United Lodge of Theosophists, is now going to be housed on the second floor of the same building.

This move, the report continues, will inject fresh life into the body: "PEN secretary Ranjit Hoskote says... that the PEN committee 'went through a lot of introspection' and has now inducted four new members in the executive committee. This, the PEN feels will save the literary body from going through a phase of 'inertia' that it underwent in the last nine months."

A renewed membership drive as well as a revival of their journal is on the cards. Ronita Torcato, one of the new members, adds: "The committee has decided to hold a memorial reading of Dom Moraes' poetry on June 6. It also plans to have more readings, discussions and novelists, writers and experts visiting PEN from time to time."

Given that the PEN committee members will have to take time off from their other pursuits to accomplish these objectives, this set of initiatives can only be applauded.