Kochi: Novelists and writers should not impose self censorship fearing they would offend someone's feelings, Noted writer Jaishree Misra, who shot to fame with her first novel Ancient Promises, said today.

The works of a writer who writes with the constant fear that his works should not hurt the sentiments of anyone would be bland, and unexciting besides fail to stand the test of time, she said in her inaugural address at the fourth DC International Book fair here.

The works of Arundhati Roy and famous Malayalam writer and Janapith award winner late Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai were bold , she said.

Misra, who works as a film classifier at the British Board of Film Classification in London, said though she did not believe in complete freedom of expression, every writer should have the freedom to offend. But the the definition of offence was vague.

Referring to controversies generated by the writings Taslima Nasreen, a Public Interest litigation (PIL) against actress Sushmita Sen for speaking about her views on sex and director of Hindi film Aaja Nachle forced to cut a line from a song due to reference to a particular community, she said freedom of expression was not an absolute right.

The writer released the book of Noted Malayalam film actor Mohan Lal Rithumarmarangal .

Source : PTI