Kiki Skagen in talks at Arera Club
Thursday - March 9, 2017 1:40 pm ,
Category : ART & LITERATURE
On International Women’s Day, Arera Club and Club Literati, Bhopal organised a conversation with Kiki Skagen on topic “ India through eyes of an American author-diplomat”. Prof (Dr.) Seema Raizada took the initiative to organise the event. The session was attended by many intellectuals including many IAS and IPS officers. The conversation was moderated by IGP Manish S Sharma, the senior IPS officer. The audience were thrilled to hear the conversation between two highly accomplished and distinguished people like Manish S Sharma and Kiki Skagen.
Manish S Sharma has diverse experience of twenty-four years and has served as a diplomat in four continents in fields of law enforcement, counter-terrorism, UN peacekeeping in Europe and ensuring transportation security in India.
Manish Shankar Sharma has made the country proud, the Mayor of the City of San Diego, California (USA) has proclaimed July 20, 2015, as "Manish S Sharma Day" to honour his contribution to enhancing US-India relationship. He has also received the certificate of special Congressional recognition from US House of Representatives. He currently serves as Board of Director for World Affairs Council of San Diego. He has been invited to speak on various subjects in many international forums and in various universities in India and abroad. He has received many awards and medals from Govt. of India, Govt. of USA and Govt. of Bosnia and Herzegovina. He has also received the United Nations, Peace Medal.
Kiki Skagen is a 73-year-old versatile genius. She is a novelist, artist, traveller and a diplomat as ex-official of US Foreign Service. Kiki Skagen is an intriguing novelist. Her first major adult literary work ” Whisper in Bucharest” is a fictional reconstruction of the political, social, and cultural scene of the last years of communism in Romania. Kiki Skagen is also a successful columnist. She has been published articles in the The Washington Post, The Times of India and many other newspapers in Romania. After retirement, she earned her PhD in from the University of Bucharest.
On being asked about men in her life who has inspired her, Kiki Skagen told the audience that her father and her husband Prof. J S Munshi were the inspiration for her. Remembering the days in Romania during 1980’s, she remarked that life was not easy during that time as there was a shortage of food and water the country.
Narrating about her life in India Kiki Skagen wittingly said that India is her “Country-In-Law” as she is married to an Indian. She added that she had three incarnations in India. First in 1965 when she came to India as a student and travelled all around the country. Second in early 1970's, when she got married in India and became a “householder” and the third as an Embassy person between 1997-2000.
Manish S Sharma told the audience that when he met KiKi Skagen in California, he was awed to know that KiKi Skagen knew so much about politics of India and demography of India. She has a beautiful ranch in California where she has horses and cats.
On being asked about her next book, KiKi Skagen told the audience that her next book shall be set on the backdrop of a town in MP ‘Mhow’. This book shall be a sequel to her earlier book which had the backdrop of Bikaner. That book was about an 11-year-old foreign child who is trying to integrate into Indian society. For her new book, she has chosen Mhow because it has a mix of Parsi community, Anglo-Indian Community and has cantonment area too. All these setting were required for the book, which shall be completed in three years time.
Recalling her days in Iraq when she working with US Army, she was of opinion that US Government did not take a correct decision to fight with Iraq.
She remarked that India can serve as a model to this world as India has managed to absorb various cultures, minorities and so many different groups of people and live comfortably with them. India has enormous flexibility to accept different cultures and live peacefully.
The event was concluded by S K Bagchi, the ex-working President of Arera Club. He thanked KiKi Skagen for enlightening the audience.
Manish S Sharma has diverse experience of twenty-four years and has served as a diplomat in four continents in fields of law enforcement, counter-terrorism, UN peacekeeping in Europe and ensuring transportation security in India.
Manish Shankar Sharma has made the country proud, the Mayor of the City of San Diego, California (USA) has proclaimed July 20, 2015, as "Manish S Sharma Day" to honour his contribution to enhancing US-India relationship. He has also received the certificate of special Congressional recognition from US House of Representatives. He currently serves as Board of Director for World Affairs Council of San Diego. He has been invited to speak on various subjects in many international forums and in various universities in India and abroad. He has received many awards and medals from Govt. of India, Govt. of USA and Govt. of Bosnia and Herzegovina. He has also received the United Nations, Peace Medal.Kiki Skagen is a 73-year-old versatile genius. She is a novelist, artist, traveller and a diplomat as ex-official of US Foreign Service. Kiki Skagen is an intriguing novelist. Her first major adult literary work ” Whisper in Bucharest” is a fictional reconstruction of the political, social, and cultural scene of the last years of communism in Romania. Kiki Skagen is also a successful columnist. She has been published articles in the The Washington Post, The Times of India and many other newspapers in Romania. After retirement, she earned her PhD in from the University of Bucharest.
On being asked about men in her life who has inspired her, Kiki Skagen told the audience that her father and her husband Prof. J S Munshi were the inspiration for her. Remembering the days in Romania during 1980’s, she remarked that life was not easy during that time as there was a shortage of food and water the country.
Narrating about her life in India Kiki Skagen wittingly said that India is her “Country-In-Law” as she is married to an Indian. She added that she had three incarnations in India. First in 1965 when she came to India as a student and travelled all around the country. Second in early 1970's, when she got married in India and became a “householder” and the third as an Embassy person between 1997-2000.
Manish S Sharma told the audience that when he met KiKi Skagen in California, he was awed to know that KiKi Skagen knew so much about politics of India and demography of India. She has a beautiful ranch in California where she has horses and cats.
On being asked about her next book, KiKi Skagen told the audience that her next book shall be set on the backdrop of a town in MP ‘Mhow’. This book shall be a sequel to her earlier book which had the backdrop of Bikaner. That book was about an 11-year-old foreign child who is trying to integrate into Indian society. For her new book, she has chosen Mhow because it has a mix of Parsi community, Anglo-Indian Community and has cantonment area too. All these setting were required for the book, which shall be completed in three years time.
Recalling her days in Iraq when she working with US Army, she was of opinion that US Government did not take a correct decision to fight with Iraq.
She remarked that India can serve as a model to this world as India has managed to absorb various cultures, minorities and so many different groups of people and live comfortably with them. India has enormous flexibility to accept different cultures and live peacefully.
The event was concluded by S K Bagchi, the ex-working President of Arera Club. He thanked KiKi Skagen for enlightening the audience.
