Akshara Centre associated with author Eve Ensler for conversations around her book “The Apology”

Mumbai, 14^th November 2019: Akshara Centre along with Royal Opera House Mumbai, Avid and One Billion Rising, presented an evening of book readings and the conversation around the global launch of Bestselling Author and Award-Winning Playwright Eve Ensler’s latest book 'The Apology' on the 13th of November in Mumbai.

Commenting on the association with Akshara Centre, Eve Ensler, the author of The Apology said, “It is my constant desire to contribute to multiple conversations through creative endeavours.  I am happy to be back in Mumbai and that Akshara has put together this event.”

Nandita Gandhi, Co-Director of Akshara Centre said, “Akshara centre has been associated with Eve and One Billion Rising and is proud to bring Eve Ensler’s The Apology, a book that has catapulted a relevant topic into conversation. Eve’s work weaves into the vision of Akshara. We are extremely grateful to Royal Opera House and Avid to partner with us on this event and help us bring Eve Ensler and One billion Rising 2020 to Mumbai.“

The evening featured Actor Rahul Bose, who read a part of the imagined apology written by Eve from her father’s perspective, from the book.  It was followed by a discussion on the book’s main themes and the larger issue of abuse, atonement and freedom between the author and Journalist Faye D’Souza. The audience was drawn into a searing conversation of what constitutes an effective apology, Eve’s personal journey from The Vagina Monologues to The Apology and how to engage with the perpetrators of sexual assault. The event saw over 450 people come together to change the narrative of gender equality in India.

The Apology was launched internationally, earlier this year. Additionally, in keeping with the overarching theme of the event, of supporting gender rights, the evening commenced with a musical performance by two young and talented women who enraptured the audience with a soulful and powerful song called ‘Girl On Fire’. 

Akshara Centre is a Mumbai based, nonprofit organisation that has been working relentlessly towards gender justice through multiple interventions and partnerships and is consistently engaging with the change-makers and the policymakers.

Sharing Eve’s book “The Apology”, has been an important step for Akshara as it represents the foundation’s vision of a gender-equal world where men are responsible, vulnerable and accountable individuals and women are as free and equal as them with an expansive vision for the future.