Irish poets penning Indian verse
November 18, 2009 |14:00 | Poets By : Team X
Believed to be the first event of its kind, the festival provides the literary traditions of India and Ireland with an opportunity to build on the shared history of excellence.
Wednesday's event, which takes place in Kolkata, has been supported by the British Council and Queen's University Belfast, where many of the participating Irish poets are based.
Those taking part from India include Ashoke Viswanathan, Jayanta Mahapatra and Sunil Gangopadhyaly. The Irish delegation includes:
Michael Longley, Ireland Chair of Poetry and one of the foremost living poets in the English language; Ciaran Carson and Pádraigín Ní Uallacháin, traditional singer in residence at Queen's.
President and Vice-Chancellor of Queen's, Professor Peter Gregson, said the university was home to a "vibrant and diverse poetic tradition".
"Indeed, it is little surprise that the Times Literary Supplement has said that 'poetry is now the activity for which Queen's is best-known throughout the English-speaking world'," he said.
Mr Carson, Director of the Seamus Heaney Centre for Poetry at Queen's, said poetry transcended nationality.
"Poetry transcends international boundaries and we greatly look forward to exploring it further with our fellow poets in India," he said.
The visit to Kolkata is part of a 10-day visit to India by a senior delegation from Queen's University which also included visits to major institutions in New Delhi, Hyderabad and Bangalore.
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