A seminar hosted by the Department of English of Pondicherry University put the spotlight on popular culture and contemporary literature. The two-day international seminar was held. Delivering the key-note address, Writer Jocelyn talked at length about the relevance of the seminar's theme. She emphasized that contemporariness means moving on from the past and going towards the promises of tomorrow. This attitude, she reiterated, has helped us transform a divided world into a united one using the advantages of technology.In his inaugural address, Prof. K Tharanikkarasu, Director of Studies, Pondicherry University, recollected various instances from his life that made him realize the importance of art and culture to humanity. He said that the evolving and adaptive nature of the field of humanities and man's continuing dependency on media of art for both relief and expression highlights the relevance of the theme for the seminar and also the need to encourage more such studies in the future. Popular culture, he reminded, continuously reinvents the past and confers newness and excitement to human lives.Prof. S. Armstrong, Head, Department of English and Foreign Languages, University of Madras, listed out various academic and non-academic ventures of the department, which sets it apart from other institutions around the country. Prof Clement S. Lourdes, Dean, School of Humanities,enlightened the audience about the aims of the seminar and how it is a part of the larger mission of the Department of English and especially its present Head, Dr. T Marx, to redefine and expand the definition of academics for students and scholars and hence open new vistas of learning.Prof  T Marx, Professor and Head, Department of English, and Prof Binu Zachariah, Associate Professor, also spoke. The academic sessions of the seminar that followed consisted of five invited lecture sessions and fifteen technical sessions. Among those who led these sessions were Prof Prabahar from Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, Prof Ajay Shekher from Kalady Sree Sankaracharya University, Prof Kunhammad from Kannur University, Prof Samuel Rufus from Madras Christian College and Prof P Raja, Former Sahitya Academy member. The fifteen technical sessions saw 180 research papers presented by professors, research scholars and postgraduate students from several leading universities across the country. Prof G Aloysius, Independent Researcher was the chief guest of the valedictory session. A cultural evening featured indigenous Tamil art forms of Parai Isai by Adavu Kalai Kuzhu and Periya Melam by Paappampatti Munusamy Group.

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