Events
Past Events
2024
August
Launch of ‘The Seven Queens’
The Seven Queens: Sindhi Folktales Retold in English Verse by Menka Shivdasani saw a spectacular launch at the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Mumbai on August 21, 2024. The event was an NCPA Library presentation under the ‘Page-to-Stage’ initiative. The book, which also features translations into Sindhi by Barkha Khushalani, has been published by Black Eagle Books (USA, India) and is available globally.
Book Launch: The BigBridge Book of Contemporary Indian Poetry
The BigBridge Book of Contemporary Indian Poetry, published by Black Eagle Books (USA, India) was launched at the Santiniketan Poetry Festival, Bolpur, in August 2024. The book, which is the print version of two anthologies that originally appeared online on an American ezine, has a foreword by the late Michael Rothenberg. The book is available globally.
2023
July
Launch of Dr. Subhadra Anand’s ‘Tryst with Koki’
Dr Subhadra Anand’s debut novel, Tryst with Koki, saw a spectacular launch, first at Crossword Bookstore in Mumbai, and then at the R.D. National College, Bandra. I had the pleasure of conducting a conversation with her at the National College at the event on July 10, 2023.
March
Roots: The Time Travellers
On World Poetry Day, March 21, 2023, Maharashtra Rajya Sindhi Sahitya Academy and
Bombay Teacher’s Training College presented a unique programme based on Sindhi poetry.
The programme, under the title ‘Roots’, was conceived by film director Susheel Gajwani and
ably compered by Barkha Khushalani. I had the pleasure of presenting two of my poems
based on Sindhi folktales. Here’s a report in Hindvasi, the more than 100-year-old Sindhi
newspaper edited by Shobha Lalchandani.
2022
November
Writing Outside the Frame,
Asia Pacific Writers and Translators,
Bengaluru.
Monday, November 28, 2022
In November 2022, the School of Liberal Arts Alliance University was abuzz as members of Asia-Pacific Writers and Translators (APWT) arrived in Bengaluru for the ‘APWT India: Writing Outside the Frame’ conference. Held between November 28 and 30, 2022, this event brought together writers from across India, Australia, the United States, and several other countries after a pandemic-induced delay of two years.
While parallel sessions meant I missed much of the action, here’s a glimpse of some events I participated in.
The first panel on the opening day focused on publishing. Moderating this was a memorable experience as Ashwani Kumar, Arindam Roy, Bitan Chakraborty, and Neeta Gupta spoke about various challenges and opportunities they faced as publishers in post-pandemic India. A key point emerged: publishers, especially independent ones, must come together to meet the various obstacles jointly.
I also hosted another fascinating session titled ‘Siren Songs: History, Heritage And Myth’ at short notice since the moderator could not make it. Australian novelist and spiritual voyager, Helen Burns discussed her new book, ‘Andal’s Garden’ about the only 8th-century Tamil woman poet/ saint. Shreekumar Varma, author, playwright, newspaper columnist and poet, and Shubhrangshu Roy, who has written a speculative fiction based on wisdom from the
ancient Indian Upanishads, were the other participants.
Since this ended just as the next session I participated in began, I had to rush to the football stadium that served as the main venue, joining the others on stage after the programme had begun. This event was the Creative Showcase, brilliantly moderated by Vinita Agrawal, featuring Dipika Mukherjee, Aftab Yusuf Shaikh, Anand Thakore, Divya Joshi and yours truly.
At the same venue, Arindam Roy and I launched the Purush anthology he edited, which features my poem
‘Daughter of the Mountains’ and the Foreword by me. We also read a few poems from the book.
The School of Liberal Arts Alliance University were superb hosts. APWT holds its conferences in various countries – in 2014, I had launched the SPARROW anthology in Singapore; it was great to have them in India!
MENKA SHIVDASANI 