Sumana Roy's 'Provincials' Explores Provincial Life Through Literature and Memory

Sumana Roy's book 'Provincials: Postcards from the Peripheries' examines how provincial environments shape identity and creativity. The work blends autobiography, literary criticism, and cultural history, focusing on Roy's upbringing in Siliguri, Bengal. She reflects on her education, where teachers recommended writers like Tennyson, Wordsworth, Nissim Ezekiel, and Ruskin Bond, but she and her friends turned instead to greetings cards, pop songs, and Hindi films for guidance. Roy explores linguistic tensions between English and Bangla, describing English as 'slightly bitten' and held together by 'indigenous glue' in post-colonial contexts. The book references diverse influences including Rabindranath Tagore, Bhuwaneshwar, John Clare, Annie Ernaux, Jacques Derrida's philosophy, and Tinkle comics. It highlights overlooked figures like Bhuwaneshwar, who was born into poverty, hailed as the future of Indian literature, and died anonymously as a beggar. Published by Yale University Press for £16.99 in hardcover, the work argues that provincial life, where 'nothing happens,' fosters invention. Roy's meditation connects place to perspective, vocabulary, and worldview through personal and literary lenses.