Delhi has always been a city of words.
Its streets, courtyards, classrooms and corners have carried poetry for centuries — in many languages, moods and registers. From Khusro to Ghalib, from spoken verse to song, Delhi has never stopped speaking to itself.
The Delhi Poetry Festival was created to honour this living tradition.
The Delhi Poetry Festival celebrates poetry in all its forms — written, spoken, sung and performed. It also recognises its power to reflect society, question authority, and deepen our understanding of what it means to be human. We see poetry not as ornament or escape, but as a vital force that sharpens thought, stirs empathy, and reminds us of our shared vulnerabilities.
Poets and artists are the raw nerve endings of humanity. They observe what others overlook, give language to the unsaid, and hold up mirrors when silence becomes convenient. Alone, they may not change the world. Without them, there would be little worth changing.
The Delhi Poetry Festival exists to create a democratic and fearless space where such voices can rise — across languages, generations, genders and ideologies. Our intent has always been to bring people into the same room, not to agree, but to listen; not to consume culture, but to engage with it.
Over the years, the Delhi Poetry Festival has grown into one of India’s most respected standalone poetry-led cultural platforms, bringing together poets, lyricists, musicians, thinkers, educators and young creators. Its programming extends beyond recitals to include conversations, performances, interdisciplinary collaborations, book launches, humour, music, and spaces dedicated to children and women’s voices.
Yet, the Delhi Poetry Festival is not defined by scale or spectacle. It is guided by a simple belief: that poetry deserves care, context and courage. That cultural gatherings must be curated with integrity. Sometimes, stepping back, rethinking and evolving is as important as showing up.
The Delhi Poetry Festival continues to imagine new formats, new conversations and new ways of gathering. Always rooted in language, always attentive to the moment.
Because poetry, like the city it inhabits, is never static — it listens, it waits, and it returns renewed.
Dolly Singh
Founder & Festival Director
dolly@delhipoetryfest.org