Poetry, the language of civilized society, is once again blossoming, and we must give our all to nurture its growth. Delhi Poetry Festival, since its inception in 2013, is committed to create space for poetic expression and usher in the winds of change.
Poetry is a timeless art form that weaves words into emotions, stories, and dreams. It transcends boundaries and resonates deep within our souls. But at its core, poetry is not just about words on paper; it’s a powerful tool for social change. We are thrilled to announce the theme for the 2023 edition of the Delhi Poetry Festival -‘Poets with Purpose’.
This unique endeavour is designed to promote and circulate poetry that invokes a profound sense of action, courage, and selflessness.
Sukrita Paul Kumar, poet and critic, was born and brought up in Kenya. She held the prestigious Aruna Asaf Ali Chair at Delhi University. Formerly, a Fellow of the Indian Institute of Advanced Study, Shimla, she was an invited poet at the International Writing Programme, Iowa, USA and Hong Kong Baptist University. Honorary faculty, Durrell Centre at Corfu, Greece, she has been a recipient of many prestigious fellowships and residencies.
Her recent collections of poems amongst others are Vanishing Words, Country Drive, Dream Catcher, Untitled and Poems Come Home (with Hindustani translations by Gulzar). She is the “Writer in Context” Series co-editor, being published by Routledge UK.
Her co-edited book on the eminent writer Krishna Sobti is the first in the series. Amongst her critical books
are Narrating Partition and Conversations on Modernism.
Her translations include Nude, poems by Vishal Bhardwaj and the novel, Blind (HarperCollins) by Joginder Paul. A guest editor of journals such as Indian Literature, Manoa (Hawaii) and Muse India, she has held solo exhibitions of her paintings. Many of her poems come out of her experience of working with the homeless, street children and Tsunami victims.
Abhay K. is a poet, diplomat, editor and translator. He is the author of a dozen poetry books including ‘Monsoon’ (Sahitya Akademi) and the editor The Book of Bihari Literature (HarperCollins India).
He received the SAARC Literature Award 2013. His poem-song ‘Earth Anthem’ has been translated into over 150 languages.
Sunil Bhandari is a poet disguised as a corporate executive. His book of poetry ‘Of Love and Other Abandonments’ was an Amazon bestseller. His second book was ‘Of Journeys & Other Ways to Get Lost’.
His poetry podcast ‘Uncut Poetry’ is heard in over 70 countries. His new podcast ‘Red River Sessions’ features interviews with exciting poets. His cultural newsletter ‘The Uncuts’ is a weekly sundrop of grace and mulls with almost 3K dedicated subscribers.
Sunil has been featured in several poetry anthologies and is a popular poet in the Literature Festivals circuit.
Founder & Festival Director, Dolly Singh is an established poet, author and editor. She carries her vision of promoting and popularising poetry and reviving poetic legacies close to her heart.
Since the launch of the festival in 2013 she has been working tirelessly to curate meaningful content for the poetry lovers of Delhi-NCR and beyond. She has managed to create a democratic and fearless domain for literature and poetry lovers who can express themselves without any bias.
Dolly also runs a women-centric platform- SheScapes, that addresses issues faced by urban women. SheScapes is an interactive platform that allows every woman in that space to air her views. It is an arena for creative, evolved and enlightened woman
Besides these, she works closely in the children’s literature sphere. She has edited 4 anthologies for children, and her own book on various poetry forms for children – A Poem Trots Along. She also runs poetry workshops.
Her own Coffee Table book- Frozen in a Pause has received rave review. Three of her own projects are ready and poised to be published.
Dolly has been the recipient of Rex Karmaveer Award and Global Fellowship for 3 consecutive years.
Brahmanand S Siingh is a Rex Karmaveer Chakra Award winner (a UN-driven International award for bringing about positivity in people’s mindsets through one’s works) and a National Award-winning filmmaker (producer-director), author, speaker and mentor based out of Mumbai.
Best known for his films like Jhalki, feature-documentaries on RD Burman, Pancham Unmixed, Jagjit Singh Kagazi Ki Kashti, continue to enjoy an amazing, sweeping cult, critical and popular acclaim across many platforms. Other than these, many other films like Riding on a Sunbeam; Through Our Eyes; Ambassador of Peace, Ragpickers: Scavengers of a Different Graveyard; Ashgari Bai; Uncaging the Body; A Burden of Love and a lot many commissioned films have been popular and acclaimed. Singh often brings out an insightful, exploring and reflective dimensions in the subjects that excite him, bringing out its core essence in a soulful and captivating manner.
A veteran in the Film Industry, he believes that films are a very powerful medium and can be made in a way to do wonders in communication, awareness, positioning, impact and change. He is known for his expertise and ideation-capacity in developing projects and exploring and delivering films that make a marked impact and stir people towards the desired goal.
Twice a Fulbright Fellow, Dr. Arshiya Sethi, established Kri Foundation (2003), braiding Arts, Activism and Knowledge creation. Former dance critic Times of India, presenter for four decades of the archived National Programme of Music and Dance on the Public Broadcast TV network, Doordarshan, she was advisor, DD Bharati – its Art and Culture channel.
As Creative-Head, India Habitat Centre, she curated programmes, across genres, for a decade and then worked to create intangible cultural properties like City Arts Festivals. Co-author of the Book “Non-Gharanedaar: Pt Mohanrao Kallianpurkar, The Paviour of Kathak’ (2022), co-editor and contributor to “Dance Under the Shadow of the Nation” (2019), Dance Studies Association’s international publication, Editor of a soon-to-be launched international academic Journal on South Asian Dance and its Intersections, she is a popular columnist.
Recently she has been part of the team preparing the Position Paper for the National Education Policy, 2020’s focus on Arts Education and Arts Integrated Learning.
Major(Dr.) Mohommed Ali Shah is an International TEDx speaker who has given the maximum number of TEDx talks not only in India but across the world.
He was crowned Mr. Pune ” Talent” while he was in college. He is referred to as the no.1 motivational speaker of India. He has acted in national award- winning films such as Haider, Bajrangi Bhaijaan, The Tashkent Files and many more.
He was conferred the coveted award of ” Best Actor” at Delhi International Film Festival, two critiques best actor awards in Australia, a critique’s award in the state capital of Kerala by a Kerala minister for an English film he played the lead and title role in called ” The Ruffian”.
He led the Assam Rifles marching continent saluting H.E. The President of India at the Republic Day Parade 2008. He is an alumnus of IIM Calcutta and has been the CEO of a leading company and is seen every day on National TV channels with his brilliant analysis on various issues that lot of people resonate with.
Vineet KKN ‘Panchhi’ is a Communication Consultant, Writer, and Leadership Coach. He worked with US MNCs like Reebok, Bose Audio, GE, and Carlson Wagonlit, before starting his social-entrepreneurship company called ‘Word of Mouth Media’.
His writing, poetry and films have been used both by large brands and the social sector extensively.
Vineet currently spends most of his time with grassroots organisations in training and assisting them with digital and technology tools, to communicate better with their identified audiences. Vineet’s dream and passion project – ‘The Jai Hind Project’ has been recently supported by The Azim Premji Foundation and University, where his team will be working with the NGO ecosystem in India to train them on storytelling and digital tools.
Vineet is a graduate of XLRI, Jamshedpur and has a certificate from The University of Oxford in Leadership Psychology. More about Vineet at: www.VineetPanchhi.com
Robin Gupta is the author of his best- selling memoir ‘And What Remains in The End’ which Khushwant Singh described as ‘a literary milestone’. He has also authored ‘A Bouquet of Thoughts’ published in London in 2002. He penned his heartfelt poems in the book called ‘The 70th Milestone’.
Robin is a member of the elite IAS and has had the distinction of having served the country in four provinces. He was posted as Commissioner in the field on six separate occasions, itself a record in the history of the ICS/IAS. He retired as Financial Commissioner Revenue in the rank of Secretary to the government of India.
Robin studied at the renowned Bishop Cotton School, and St. Stephens college Delhi. He is also an International Scholarship holder who studied at New Trier High School, U.S.A. from where he passed out with straight A’s. Robin returned to India, imbued with the desire to serve the country.
He had a short stint with the Indian Police Service before joining the IAS in 1974. Indeed, Robin Gupta is a most unusual civil servant who continued to nurse his muse even while having to deal with bone dry files for almost 40 years. On his mother’s side he is a third- generation civil servant.
Robin’s father was enrolled as member of the FRCS in 1933 after which he joined the IMS and served the British Indian army under Field Marshal Montgomery’s command in the middle Eastern theatre of the second world war. After his retirement, Robin who divides his time between his homes in Panchkula, Delhi and Goa and devotes all his time and energy to promoting the literary movement in India.
Mannu Kohli is a content curator, producer and artiste manager with an extraordinary journey in the music world. She has been a part of the Indian Music Industry for the last 21 years as an A&R (Artiste and Repertoire) Head and an artiste manager. Currently working as President – A&R for Panorama Music in India, which she is also a founding member of. She spent many years as the Label Head of the well-known music label Music Today, which was the music division of the India Today Group. Her 15-year long stint with the music label was replete with experiences with some of the finest voices and musicians of the sub-continent, comprising both legends as well as outstanding upcoming musicians. While at the label, she seamlessly also slipped into her role as an artiste manager for one of the leading voices of the sub-continent and Classical, Sufi, Bollywood singer Shafqat Amanat Ali. She continues her journey with the artiste as his global business manager after 14 years of starting work with him in 2007. Trained in Hindustani classical music under the guidance of Smt Abha Mukherjee and late Smt Shanti Sharma, Mannu also sings the poetry of poets such as Faiz Ahmed Faiz, Baba Bulleh Shah, Amir Khusrau and Mirza Ghalib for select platforms. She is currently working on creating a digital music platform to present the music of artistes across the sub-continent and Asia along with her existing artiste management and content creation work. She also working with an NGO on a digital cultural education program for students across India, for which she has designed the content.
