BRIDGING EAST AND WEST : rabindranath tagore and romain rolland correspondence (1919-1940)

The amazing inter-cultural correspondence (1919-1940) between two cultural icons of the twentieth century, Nobel laureates from the East and the West: the Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941) and the French novelist, playwright, and biographer, Romain Rolland (1866-1944), has remained undiscovered for far too long. This work brings together, for the first time in English, these letters and telegrams that are among the finest exchanges of thought between the East and the West, and script the intellectual history of that period. It is also the story of a profound friendship, where Tagore and Rolland unlock their hearts to each other. The book also records the differences of opinion and misunderstandings between the two outstanding humanists of contemporary history, who often felt isolated in their own countries, on serious issues like Gandhi and Fascism. It comprises Rolland's correspondence with the radical Saumyendranath Tagore, and the whole debate on the Tagore-Mussolini controversy. This majestic and serene correspondence, comprising 46 letters and telegrams, along with three dialogues between the two at various times, as well as letters by Rathindranath Tagore and others, is a journey towards the imaging of a different world which would create the possibility of a new space outside cultural hegemony. Edited and annotated by one of India's foremost French scholars, it is one of the most important quests for an alternative discourse in the last century. The amazing inter-cultural correspondence (1919-1940) between two cultural icons of the twentieth century, Nobel laureates from the East and the West: the Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941) and the French novelist, playwright, and biographer, Romain Rolland (1866-1944), has remained undiscovered for far too long.0This work brings together, for the first time in English, these letters and telegrams that are among the finest exchanges of thought between the East and the West, and script the intellectual history of that period. It is also the story of a profound friendship, where Tagore and Rolland unlock their hearts to each other. The book also records the differences of opinion and misunderstandings between the two outstanding humanists of contemporary history, who often felt isolated in their own countries, on serious issues like Gandhi and Fascism. It comprises Rolland's correspondence with the radical Saumyendranath Tagore, and the whole debate on the Tagore-Mussolini controversy. 0This majestic and serene correspondence, comprising 46 letters and telegrams, along with three dialogues between the two at various times, as well as letters by Rathindranath Tagore and others, is a journey towards the imaging of a different world which would create the possibility of a new space outside cultural hegemony. Edited and annotated by one of India's foremost French scholars, it is one of the most important quests for an alternative discourse in the last century This amazing inter-cultural correspondence (1919–1940) between two cultural icons of the twentieth century—Nobel laureates from the East and the West: the Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore (1861–1941) and the French novelist, playwright and biographer Romain Rolland (1866–1944)—had remained undiscovered for far too long. Published for the first time in English, these letters and telegrams are among the finest exchanges of thought between the East and the West, and script the intellectual history of that period. It is also the story of a profound friendship, where Tagore and Rolland unlock their hearts to each other. The book also records the differences of opinion and misunderstandings between the two outstanding humanists of contemporary history, who often felt isolated in their own countries, on serious issues like Gandhi and fascism. This majestic and serene correspondence, comprising 46 letters and telegrams, along with three dialogues between the two at various times, as well as letters by Rathindranath Tagore and others, is a journey towards the imaging of a different world which would create the possibility of a new space outside cultural hegemony. Edited and annotated by one of India’s foremost French scholars, it is one of the most important quests for an alternative discourse in the last century. Title_Pages 1 Endorsement 7 (p.ii) Endorsement 7 Chinmoy Guha 7 (p.ii) Endorsement 7 (p.ii) Endorsement 8 Frontispiece 9 Dedication 10 Photographs 12 Acknowledgements 14 Photographs (1) 18 Introduction 22 Correspondence_of_Tagore_and_Rolland 74 Conversations_between_Rolland_and_Tagore 171 Appendix_A_Rolland_on_Tagore_and_Tagore_on_Rolland 188 Appendix_B_Tagore_on_Fascism 191 Appendix_C_Correspondence_between_Romain_Rolland_and_Saumyendranath_Tagore 201 Bibliography 215 Index 223 About_the_Editor_and_Translator 234 This work brings togther the amazing inter-cultural correspondence between two great creative geniuses of the twentieth century, two Nobel laureates from two hemispheres: the Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941) and the French novelist, playwright and biographer Romain Rolland (1866-1944). Translated into English for the first time, these annotated letters record the intellectual history of the time