A Literary History of Dissent: The Work of the South Asian Progressive Writers’ Association (1932-1975)

Abstract

This thesis focuses on the work of the Progressive Writers’ Association (PWA) in the Indian subcontinent, from 1932 to 1975. By breaking down the periods of their activity into three main chronological phases – pre-Partition (1932-1942); Partition (1942-1947); and post-Partition (1947-1975) – this thesis addresses the concerns of the PWA according to the era in which they were active, with a focus on the theme of literary dissent. I will also concentrate on the little-explored lives and works of the women of the movement, as an alternative history to the male-dominated Association’s activities. Unlike other single-author studies of key personalities, this project considers the writings of the PWA as a collective body to outline not only their motivations for this kind of literary activism, but also to focus on the influence they were able to exert at home and abroad, both at the time of their writing and in the present day. Therefore, by analysing the movement as a holistic body, this project draws attention to the work of such lesser-known progressive writers, as well as those who have not been widely translated into English but remain popular among Urdu and Hindi speakers. In addition, notable contributions by progressives have been made in Hindi/Urdu cinema as screenwriters and lyricists, and will also be examined as part of the wider progressive movement. To this effect, the thesis includes personal interviews with the descendants of the PWA’s key personalities, many of whom are seen to embody the spirit of literary dissent that was the foundation of the progressive movement in the subcontinent. Therefore, their contributions and insights will help to bring the literary analysis of the work of the PWA into the present day.