Chair Poetry Evenings-Kolkata’s International Poetry Festival is back with its third edition. An impressive list of widely acclaimed international and national figures from the world of poetry will be treating your ears and souls to strings of words that will strike a chord with your heart.
Scheduled to be held online from 1st to 5th November, the edition will feature poets from the UK, USA, Macedonia, Italia, Estonia, Netherlands, Israel and other parts of India, who will engage the audience in some soulful poetry.
The names that figure in this prestigious list include Booker prize winning writer Ben Okri, Pulitzer Prize winning poet Vijay Seshadri, Padma Shri Keki Daruwalla, Ashok Vajpeyi, Poet laureate of the Netherlands Tsead Bruinja, Kaveh Akbar, 2020 Golden Wreath laureate Amir Or, TS Eliot prize winner George Szirtes, Nikola Madzirov, TriinSoomets, Elisa Biagini, Harry Man, Helene Cardona, Ajmer Rode and Christopher Merrill. From India the names who would be participating are Neelesh Raghuwanshi, Nabina Das, Ganesh Visputay, Manohar Shetty, Christina Davis, Bibhas Roy Chowdhury, Prabal Kumar Basu, Nilim Kumar, A.J. Thomas and Priya Sarukkai Chabria.
Echoing his feelings, Sonnet Mondal, poet and festival Director, Chair Poetry Evenings, offers, “It is indeed painful to go online this year but I believe that the poetry that will be shared in the 3rd edition of this festival will be no less than a festival of human realization. Festivals all over the world have been hosting their events online this year and we are happy to have been able to keep the show going.”
Tushar Dhawal Singh, Hindi poet, fellow festival Director adds, “Our emphasis is on promising poetry from around the globe. The hard work is on and the allure is guaranteed. The world has seen enough this year but such a crisis shall not be able to bind our thoughts. It’s high time the real human voice is heard through poetry that has sustained us through the ages.
The five-day session would be moderated by poets Sarabjeet Garcha, Ashwani Kumar, Saima Afreen and Sunil Bhandari. A musical session by Singer and Music composer Prajna Dutta is being repeated this year as well.
The event would be available for viewing through live streams on the YouTube and Facebook pages of the Chair Poetry Evenings.