Poetry to take centre stage in an evening of expression & emotion

Kolkata: The Kolkata Centre for Creativity (KCC) will host an event on Friday that will feature a discussion on ‘poetry as a performing art’ by professor Sreemati Mukherjee of Presidency University, along with a duet of dance and poetry by Srabasti Ghosh and Akash Chakrabarty. It will be followed by a poetry-reading session by over 15 esteemed poets, including Ashoke Vishwanathan, Sharmila Ray, Mrityunjay Kumar Singh, Julie Mehta, Sekhar Banerjee and Prabal Kumar Basu, among others. According to poet Ipsita Ganguli, the curator of the event, the title of the event — Poetry for All Seasons — not only refers to climatic changes but also “seasons of the heart, the mind and life”. “Transgender activist Anurag Maitrayee and feminist poet Devinder Kaur will be presenting their poems representing seasons of change and inclusion,” Ganguli said.In 1996, poet Prabal Kumar Basu wrote a poem titled ’Maniye Nin’. “It explored the trend of least resistance that each of us have been practising for years. For every incident that demands a reaction, all we do is keep silent. Keeping in mind the contemporary situation, I think this is the most appropriate poem that I should read,” Basu said. Speaking about performance poetry, Ganguli pointed out that in some ways, it is connected to oral traditions that date back to ancient times, even before the advent of the written word. “It is often multidisciplinary in nature and combines various art forms. The overriding theme will be the romanticism of the season of love and rains,” she said. Reena Dewan, KCC director, said, “Poetry has an extraordinary ability to weave emotions, stories, and the essence of seasons into a rich tapestry of words. With 'Poetry for all Seasons’, we aim to curate an experience where poetry enthusiasts can delve into this timeless art form.”