Naga Voices from the War

Naga Voices from the War - Collecting memories of Second World War survivors of the Battle of Kohima.

The Kohima Educational Trust is delighted to welcome guest speaker, author and poet Dr Easterine Kire, for this webinar on Naga Voices from the War. Introduced by KET trustee Dr Robert Lyman, we will hear Easterine’s experiences of collecting and recording the memories and stories of many who survived the Japanese Invasion and the Battle of Kohima in 1944. Her own Mother, as well as her Aunt Mari, after whom Easterine's celebrated book is titled, are just some of the voices that have become an important part of the oral history traditions in Nagaland and whose stories Easterine shares so movingly.

Dr Easterine Kire was born in Kohima, Northeast India. She studied at the North East Hill University and received a doctoral degree in English Literature from the University of Poona.

Easterine’s works include poetry, novels, short stories and children’s books. In 2003, She wrote the first Naga novel in English, entitled, A Naga Village Remembered (Ura Academy), which has since been reissued by Speaking Tiger (2018) as Sky is my Father. In 2013, she was awarded the ‘Free Word’ prize by Catalan PEN, Barcelona. Her novel, When the River Sleeps, won the Hindu Prize for Best Fiction in 2015, and the next novel,Son of the Thundercloud, won the Tata Book of the Year (2017) and the Bal Sahitya Puraskar in 2018. Her novel, A Respectable Woman was awarded Printed book of the Year by Publishing Next in 2019. Her latest novel, Spirit Nights, has been awarded the FICCI Book of the Year for 2023.

The recording of the talk is now available to view below:

Speakers: 

Easterine Kire - Author and Poet  Dr Easterine Kire was born in Kohima, Northeast India. She studied at the North East Hill University and received a doctoral degree in English Literature from the University of Poona.

Easterine’s works include poetry, novels, short stories and children’s books. In 2003, She wrote the first Naga novel in English, entitled, A Naga Village Remembered (Ura Academy), which has since been reissued by Speaking Tiger (2018) as Sky is my Father. In 2013, she was awarded the ‘Free Word’ prize by Catalan PEN, Barcelona. Her novel, When the River Sleeps, won the Hindu Prize for Best Fiction in 2015, and the next novel,Son of the Thundercloud, won the Tata Book of the Year (2017) and the Bal Sahitya Puraskar in 2018. Her novel, A Respectable Woman was awarded Printed book of the Year by Publishing Next in 2019. Her latest novel, Spirit Nights, has been awarded the FICCI Book of the Year for 2023.

Sylvia May - CEO of The Kohima Educational Trust Sylvia May was born in New Jersey, USA in 1957. Her parents moved to England in 1963. Educated at High Wycombe School for Girls, she decided to pursue a career in the world of books. Sylvia worked for HarperCollins for 37 years, the last eleven of which she headed up their UK-based International Sales team. Sylvia May is the daughter of the late Gordon Graham, Founder and President of the Kohima Educational Trust. She is proud that her father has inspired many people to share his vision to commemorate those who fought and died in Kohima, and the wonderful Naga people who have done so much for the British in the past. She first visited India in 1994 with her husband Robert, and has returned on numerous occasions, staying in Kohima several times. In 2000, they followed the WWII route of the Queens Own Cameron Highlanders, her father’s regiment. The regiment’s first main engagement in this theatre of war was at Zubza shortly before the Battle of Kohima.