Poetry of Abhay K. celebrated at the India International Centre and Sahitya Akademi

New Delhi [India], Jan.28 (ANI): The Poetry Society of India in association with the India International Centre, New Delhi, organised readings from CAPITALS: A Poetry Anthology edited by poet-diplomat Abhay K on 27th January 2017 at the India International Centre. During the readings Abhay K. read poems on Brussels by Willem Roggeman, Damascus by Ruth Padel, Dhaka by Ahsan Akbar, Kathmandu by Cathal O Searcaigh, Jerusalem by Mahmoud Darwish, Tokyo by Jan Napier , London by Moniza Alvi, Paris by Vijay Seshadri, Port of Spain by Derek Walcott, Pyongyang by Alex Bramwell, Oslo by Mark Strand and Beijing by Inara Cedrins. He read his own poems on Muscat, Brasilia, Thimphu, Gaborone, Rabat, Kathmandu, Delhi and Buenos Aires from the anthology. The President of the Poetry Society of India Dr. H.K. Kaul chaired the reading session and lauded the efforts made by Abhay K to put together such an innovative anthology. Speaking on this occasion Abhay K emphasized the need of a poetry library in India and urged for collaborative efforts to establish a poetry library in Delhi or anywhere in the country. He also said that efforts should be made to make Delhi a UNESCO City of Literature. He remembered how during his stay in Delhi between 2010-2012 a number of poets used to read poems at Delhi's various monuments. Several prominent cultural figures including Kapila Vatsyayan, poets Rukmini Bhaya Nair, Tarannum Riyaz, Bimal Prasad, Russian academic Guzel Strelkova, translator Apurva Narayan and the Deputy Director of Nehru Centre, London Vibha Mehdiratta attended the reading. Earlier on 24th January Sahitya Akademi, India' s National Academy of Letters had also organized a poetry reading by Abhay K, Sonali Singh and Malikzada Zaved at its premises at the Rabindra Bhawan. It was attended by a number of poets and the literature lovers. During the programme Abhay K. read his poems on Delhi from his collection of poems The Seduction of Delhi and CAPITALS. CAPITALS will be launched at Delhi Gymkhana's literature festival Literati on 29th January and at SOAS, University of London on 1st February. (ANI)