From Ghalib to Gulzar: New anthology maps India’s cities by 375 poems

The not too long ago launched anthology, edited by Bilal Moin and printed by Penguin Random House India , includes a whole of 375 poems, together with works initially written in English in addition to translations from almost 20 completely different languages.

“It was an honour to compile this poetic atlas of Indian cities — a first-of-its-kind anthology bringing collectively poetic voices spanning over 1,500 years, translated from greater than 20 languages. Here, legendary poets of antiquity coexist with younger voices crafting verses within the age of social media, narrating the cities they inhabited and tracing their evolving identities.

“Expanding beyond major metropolises, this anthology captures the rhythms and realities of thirty-seven diverse cities, spotlighting forgotten poets and revitalizing many near-lost contributions,” mentioned Moin, who has additionally authored a group of haikus, titled ‘The Ideajunkyard’ in 2018.

Spanning from the classical voices of Valmiki and the Sangam poets to the Bhakti and Sufi traditions represented by Surdas, Kabir, and Amir Khusrau, in addition to early fashionable poets like Mir Taqi Mir, Narmad, Rudyard Kipling, and Rabindranath Tagore, the anthology offers a wealthy and immersive lyrical journey by India’s cities.

It additionally options modern poets together with the likes of Arvind Krishna Mehrotra, Vikram Seth, Eunice de Souza, Arun Kolatkar, Amrita Pritam, Amit Chaudhuri and Gulzar. And collectively, all of them take the reader by depictions of cities as imperial capitals, colonial outposts and dynamic, ever-evolving areas that function the backdrop for postmodern life.

According to the writer, at its core, “The Penguin Book of Poems on the Indian City” is a group that portrays the Indian metropolis as a posh organism and residing embodiment of the collective consciences of its many, many residents.

“A collection for not just those who live in the cities featured in this book but for anyone who is familiar with the chaotic, paradoxical and magical tableau that constitutes life in a city in this part of the world,” they added.

The 1062-page tome, priced at ₹1,999, is out there for buy throughout on-line and offline shops.

This article was generated from an automatic information company feed with out modifications to textual content.