Description
An initiative of Red River and Indian Novels Collective
Hummingbirds are distinguished by their dazzling colours, diminutive size, and speedy flight, the only birds that can fly backwards, upside down, sideways, and hover in mid-air. Sighting a hummingbird also signals that challenging times are over and healing can begin. These little birds are also a sign of hope and spiritual significance. They are also critically endangered species, facing the prospect of extinction due to climate change.
Since publishing poetry is considered perhaps the most adventurous or perilous creative journey, curating a poetry series in the name of hummingbirds literally and metaphorically affirms our faith in the commitment and belief in the power of small to achieve the impossible.
Inspired by Wangari Maathai, the Kenyan activist and the first woman Nobel Peace Prize winner from Africa, who pioneered Green Belt Movement, and a great believer in the power of hummingbirds, we believe that our Hummingbirds Chapbook Series, a joint initiative of Red River and Indian Novels Collective, will energise poets and poetry lovers to come together and help create a republic of imagination.
The Republic of Poetry by Subodh Sarkar
No poetry is regional, nor is any poetry entirely global. If Rainer Maria Rilke is considered universal, why not Jibanananda Das? If someone writes a poem in New York, they’re instantly labelled an international poet — but if I write from Kolkata or a nearby village, I’m called a regional poet. Why? Poetry does not belong to a place. Its true belonging lies in The Republic of Poetry — a notion scandalously rejected by Plato. In 1992, as a young poet still negotiating my sense of poetry, I met Nicanor Parra, already a Latin American icon. A week with him in Bhopal and Kolkata transformed me. I embraced him as a Bengali poet, much as I revered Subhash Mukhopadhyay and Nirendranath Chakravarty. In my Republic, Parra, Subhash, and Niren stood together as fellow citizens. I welcomed Homer, down to Vasko Popa, into this Republic. I include poets of all languages, from ancient to modern times. And I still believe we are the smallest Republic — one that harms no other. Poets are often quoted for their rhapsody and rhetoric, but rarely followed. More often, they are quoted, exiled, jailed, or murdered.
Author of 48 books of poems over a career spanning five decades, Subodh Sarkar stands among the most illustrious voices in contemporary Bengali literature. His poems have been widely translated into various Indian and international languages. He has participated in the International Writing Program (IWP) at the University of Iowa, USA, and has been honoured with several major awards, including the Sahitya Akademi Award, Bangla Academy Award, Gangadhar Meher National Award, and Rabindra Puraskar. A former Fulbright Scholar, he taught Postcolonial Literatures at the University of Iowa. He retired as Professor of English from City College, Kolkata, and currently serves as Chairman of the West Bengal Poetry Academy.
Matralina Pati is a doctoral research scholar, poet and translator from West Bengal, India. Her poems and critical writings have been published across national and international platforms. She has authored a book of translations titled Monsoon Seems Promising This Year (selected poems of Rudra Pati, translated from Bengali).
