Biswabrata Goswami
KRISHNAGAR, 19 FEB: At a time when the world grapples with climate anxiety, fractured communities and deepening inequalities, storytelling emerged as an instrument of hope and resilience at Vidyasagar University on Wednesday.
The Department of English Literature, Language and Cultural Studies (DELLCS), in collaboration with its Alumni Association, hosted the second Tapan Jyoti Bandyopadhyay Memorial Lecture at the B. N. Sasmal Hall, drawing scholars, students and academicians into a reflective conversation on “Stories are Not Boasts: Storytelling, Sustainability and Sustenance in the Pursuit of Community, Hope and Justice.”
Delivering the memorial lecture, Dr Michael Wilson, Professor of Drama and Director of the Storytelling Academy at Loughborough University and UNESCO Chair in Storytelling for Sustainability, underscored the transformative power of narratives in shaping resilient societies. He argued that stories are not ornamental embellishments of culture but living frameworks that enable communities to confront crises, imagine alternatives and sustain hope.
“Stories are not boasts,” he observed, emphasising that authentic storytelling fosters dialogue, shared responsibility and collective action. Drawing on global examples, Dr Wilson illustrated how narrative practices intersect with sustainability initiatives, particularly in contexts marked by ecological stress and social fragmentation. He maintained that storytelling can serve as a bridge between policy frameworks and lived realities, strengthening the ethical foundations of sustainable development.
The programme began with a welcome address by Prof Joyjit Ghosh, Head of the Department, who also read out a message of good wishes from Prof Dipak Kumar Kar, Vice-Chancellor of Vidyasagar University. In his message, Prof Kar highlighted the intellectual legacy of Late Professor (Dr) Tapan Jyoti Bandyopadhyay and lauded the department for sustaining a tradition of critical engagement through the memorial lecture series.
The event was graced by Prof (Dr) Arindam Gupta, Dean of the Faculty Council for Postgraduate Studies in Arts and Commerce; Prof (Dr) Sankar Prasad Singha, former professor of the Department of English; and Mrs Swati Banerjee, Headmistress of Vidyasagar Vidyapith Girls’ High School and daughter of Late Professor Bandyopadhyay. Prof Singha chaired the session and reflected on the enduring academic contributions of the late scholar whose memory the lecture commemorates.
Dr Fred Dalmasso of Loughborough University also addressed the gathering, offering insights into the global dimensions of storytelling studies and its interdisciplinary relevance. He spoke of the growing recognition of narrative research in addressing questions of justice, inclusion and environmental responsibility.
The vote of thanks was delivered by Dr Debdas Roy. Faculty members of the department, including Prof Indranil Acharya, Prof Jolly Das, Dr Hemant Kumar Golapalli and Dr Shubhendu Shekhar Naskar, were present and actively engaged in the proceedings.
Alumni, research scholars and current students enriched the event through a lively interaction with the speakers, raising questions on the role of literature and performance in negotiating contemporary crises. The discussion reflected a shared conviction that storytelling, far from being a mere aesthetic exercise, remains central to the pursuit of community, hope and justice.
With the memorial lecture series steadily evolving into a platform for global academic exchange, Vidyasagar University once again reaffirmed its commitment to fostering critical inquiry rooted in both local memory and global conversations.
