Amid quick changes, contemporary Goan writing grapples with belonging, land, social inclusion : MOG sunday discussion

Goa Khabar : Contemporary Goan writing and art are grappling with questions of belonging, land, language and social inclusion at a moment of accelerated change in the state, according to Goan writers and poets in attendance at a recent MOG Sundays discussion at the Museum of Goa (MOG). 

The discussion focused on ‘The Brave New World of Goan Writing & Art 2025’, the latest anthology of Goan writing that brings together fiction, essays and art criticism spanning Konkani and Portuguese works in translation, queer narratives, and reflections by artists, curators, researchers and heritage practitioners, edited by UK-based writer of Goan origin Selma Carvalho and published by Margao-based CinnamonTeal Design and Publishing.

The MOG Sunday session featured discussions anchored by contributors to the anthology, Heta Pandit, Janeita Singh, Annie Sengupta and Glenis Mendonca, in conversation with moderator Aaron Monteiro, a photographer and writer.

Setting the context, Monteiro referred to Carvalho’s introduction, which highlights the limited platforms available for regional voices despite English becoming central to Goa’s intellectual discourse. The anthology, he noted, positions translation not just as a literary exercise but as a necessary bridge across linguistic and cultural silos in Goa.

Researcher and architectural historian Heta Pandit pointed to land and the Goan house as recurring themes across the book, arguing that everyday structures often reveal more about Goa’s cultural history than monumental heritage. “Even the smallest house becomes an archive,” she said, explaining how Goan homes absorbed global influences through migration while retaining a local spatial logic rooted in lived experience.

Writer Annie Sengupta drew attention to village life and informal community spaces through his short story Fosu’s Dogs, which centres on relationships between people, animals and shared public spaces. “The banyan tree becomes a court, a gathering point,” he said, adding that the story reflects how those with the least often show the greatest care — a reality increasingly visible in debates around stray dogs and public responsibility in Goa.

Art critic Janeita Singh spoke about the search for self and fractured identity in essays on Goan artists, particularly those who resist singular cultural or religious labels. “These artists occupy multiple worlds at once, and that complexity is what makes their work distinctly Goan,” she said, pointing to how art in the anthology reflects migration, displacement and hybridity.

Glenis Mendonca highlighted the anthology’s engagement with Konkani and Romi Konkani writing, stressing the importance of retaining untranslatable words and cultural references. “Language carries memory,” she said, noting that several translated works address land acquisition, environmental degradation and the erosion of moral landscapes alongside physical ones.

The discussion also touched on caste, gender and queer narratives, themes that have historically remained marginal in Goan public discourse. Speakers noted that the anthology reflects a growing willingness among writers and artists to address these issues openly, even within a close-knit society.

The discussion underscored the anthology’s larger argument: that translation, documentation and critical engagement remain essential tools for bridging linguistic silos and sustaining Goa’s diverse cultural voices in an era of accelerated change.