A Word With You, World: The Autobiography of a Poet

by Siddalingaiah

A poet tracks his journey from a dalit colony on the edges of Magadi town—where he would rather roam the hills and wade in rivers than attend school—to the hardships of living in dalit hostels in the city. Instead of despairing in his poverty, he turns to poetry. This makes the poet look at the benefits of sleeping on the streets of Bangalore: ‘The imagination of people who sleep under the star-studded sky takes wing. They become close to the moon.’ We hear Siddalingaiah’s fiercely political and poetic voice mature as he tastes success as an orator and legislator, but his mood for mischief never diminishes. He regards a chief minister and an idli vendor with the same degree of affectionate irreverence.

A Word With You, World is a vivid evocation of everyday life and labour, of conviviality and courage, of poverty and loss. As the critic D.R. Nagaraj says in his afterword, Siddalingaiah offers us a bonsai-like compression of life. ‘This is writing that makes rage pleasant. Here, anger becomes sarcasm. Ire is translated into a mischief that grasps the subtleties of life.’

Genres: Nonfiction, India, Biography

302 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

Siddalingaiah (1954 in Magadi, Bangalore – 11 June 2021), was an Indian poet, playwright, and Dalit activist, writing in the Kannada language. He is credited with starting the Dalit-Bandaya movement in Kannada and with starting the genre of Dalit writing. He is one of the founders of the Dalita Sangharsh Samiti along with B. Krishnappa.

He has been head of the Department of Kannada at Bangalore University and a member of the University Syndicate of Kannada University, Hampi. He is acknowledged as a symbol of the Dalit movement and a leading public intellectual and Kannada poet.

Reviews

[Heather Mew]

I bought Siddalingaiah’s autobiography on a whim whilst visiting Bangalore and wanting to learn more about the city, and I’m really glad I did. Whilst some of the context was a bit lost on me (from my own ignorance, not the authors flaw), Siddalingaiah painted a really vivid picture of caste oppression and poverty in Karnataka, and of the protest and struggle for recognition which went alongside. The author’s narrative is equal parts brutal, hopeful, and always very charming, and the English translation flowed beautifully.

[Ashis Sahu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Among the best autobiographies I have read. The way discriminations and injustices to the oppressed class and caste are presented is equal humour/comedy and tragic.
Another element here is the representation of Karnataka and specifically Bangalore of the 70s and 80s - the current generation might not even believe what the state/city would have been....
But the most important take is the way some famous/ powerful people behaved and interacted with each other and the empathy they had despite differing ideologies. At present it seems like that was some 100s of years ago.

[Mehak Charaya · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book. Full of things I never knew really existed. But reading them brings the truth out. I loved it. This is the book that tells about the great literature of our country and to feel proud of it.

[Kracekumar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Life of a Kannada poet from an oppressed community narrated in chaplinesque style.

[Sree · Rating 5 out of 5]

R K Narayanish soulful portrayal of Bangalore and the Dalit struggles with his omnipresent sense of humor. Definitely a vey enjoyable read

[Jasun Chelat · Rating 5 out of 5]

From childhood accounts in my family, I know that for the poor and socially disadvantaged, humiliation and politics are both more or less non-optional. And I love it when people are funny. Funny, sensitive and confident. Great book.