Mera Dil Hai Allahabadi: Francesca Orsini, Hindi Scholar & Prof Emerita at SOAS London

In this engaging episode of London Vārta, we feature an illuminating conversation with Francesca Orsini, Professor Emerita of Hindi and South Asian Literature at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London. She is an acclaimed Italian scholar specialising in multilingual literary histories of South Asia. Her pioneering work explores Hindi, Urdu, and Indo-Persian texts. She taught Hindi at Cambridge University before joining the SOAS.Francesca Orsini joins broadcaster Achala Sharma to reflect on her remarkable career, her profound connection to Hindi, and the vibrant literary landscapes of South Asia. “My heart belongs to Allahabad, as the city is my second home,” admits Orsini. Produced by Pervaiz Alam for Cine Ink, this discussion is a must-listen for anyone captivated by the interplay of language and culture. For those keen to explore further, Professor Orsini’s notable works include The Hindi Public Sphere 1920–1940: Language and Literature in the Age of Nationalism (Oxford University Press, 2002), which explores Hindi’s pivotal role in colonial India’s nationalist discourse; Print and Pleasure: Popular Literature and Entertaining Fictions in Colonial North India (Permanent Black, 2009), revealing the lively world of popular fiction; Before the Divide: Hindi and Urdu Literary Culture (Orient BlackSwan, 2010), which re-examines the shared history of these languages; and her recent East of Delhi: Multilingual Literary Culture and World Literature (Oxford University Press, 2023), redefining world literature through the multilingual lens of Awadh. Her influential edited collections include Love in South Asia: A Cultural History (Cambridge University Press, 2006) and Tellings and Texts: Music, Literature and Performance in North India (Open Book Publishers, 2015), co-edited with Katherine Butler Schofield.