Aligarh: The Department of English at Aligarh Muslim University organised a University Extension Lecture by Prof Sam North, Honorary Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom in the Arts Faculty Lounge here.

In his address, Prof North said, "Contemporary British fiction is no longer confined to the perspectives of a single dominant culture. Today, it is shaped by a multitude of voices-immigrant, marginalized, and historically overlooked- that bring fresh, dynamic narratives to the forefront. This shift is not just about representation; it’s about reimagining what it means to be British in an increasingly globalized world.”

He further added, "If contemporary British fiction has proven anything, it is that literature is an ever-evolving entity. What we are witnessing today is a shift towards inclusivity, experimentation, and bold thematic engagement, writers are not afraid to take risks, challenge narrative conventions, and question historical and social structures. The British novel, once defined by its rigid traditions, is now an open-ended conversation, shaped by voices from different cultures, backgrounds, and ideologies. As we move forward, one thing remains certain: the power of storytelling will continue to evolve, reflecting the ever-changing world we inhabit."

In his presidential remarks, Prof Sami Akhtar, Dean, the Faculty of Arts, said, “It is with immense pleasure that I extend my deepest commendations to the Department of English, under the sagacious and unwavering leadership of Dr Shaheena Tarannum, for orchestrating this event, a crucial intervention that seeks to reconfigure the epistemic conditions of our engagement with literary modernity. This is not merely a gathering in pursuit of academic edification, but a site where the complex temporalities of contemporary British literature will be illuminated, interrogated, and subjected to the kind of reading that acknowledges its ambivalent inscriptions within a broader discursive formation.”

Earlier, Prof Shaheena Tarannum, Chairperson of the Department of English, welcomed the guest. She underscored the rich legacy of the department in particular and the university in general. Prof Tarannum said, “The foundation of Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College in 1877 under Sir Sayyid Ahmad Khan was a watershed moment in English education in the Indian subcontinent. His son, Justice Syed Mahmood, furthered this legacy.

English at Aligarh, from its inception as Madrasatul Uloom in 1875 to its evolution into Aligarh Muslim University in 1920, remained central to Sir Sayyid’s vision. Scholars from Oxford and Cambridge, including Sir Walter Raleigh, who later became the first Chair of English Literature at Oxford, along with Sir Theodore Morrison, FJ Fielden, Hadow Haris, Firebrace and EC Dickinson joined the Department of English at AMU.

The session was moderated by Dr Siddhartha Chakraborti while Mohd Danish Iqbal, both Assistant Professors in the department, delivered the vote of thanks. The faculty members as well as the students joined the gathering in large numbers.