Sri Aurobindo

Letters of Sri Aurobindo

Volume 2. 1938

Letter ID: 2187

Sri Aurobindo — Nirodbaran Talukdar

September 12, 1938

Mother must have told you all about the room incident, so I needn’t go more into it.

You must have seen in today’s paper the great news: Prof. Sanjib Chowdhury of Dacca (belonging to Chittagong, hip-hip hurrah!) has got the Nobel Prize in literature – for his book Songs from the Heights.

Didn’t see it. Who the devil is he? The title of the book doesn’t sound encouraging; but I suppose it can’t be merely Noble Rubbish.

But it is extremely surprising that we have heard very little about him! Have you?

Never.

This book has hit!

Hit whom?

Anyway, a great success for India, Bengal, Chittagong! I wonder if you have read it.

Never set eyes on it. No use of success unless it is deserved. Can’t forget that Kipling for whose poetry I have a Noble contempt (his prose has value, at least the Jungle Book and some short stories) was illegitimately Nobelised by this confounded prize. Contemporary “success” or fame is a deceit and a snare.