THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Ever listened to poetry in whispers? ‘Whispering Poetry’ is one of the sessions in the tenth edition of the Kritya International Poetry Festival, slated to begin here on Thursday. This form of recital is being held for the first time in the country, according to the organisers. A new form of therapy - poetry therapy - will also be tried in this edition, which the organisers describe as a ‘mobile festival.’
At the tenth edition, the residents of the capital city can expect to soak themselves in a poetry extravaganza. The three-day event will be a treat to poetry lovers as poets from Indonesia, Malaysia, Romania, Ireland, Italy, Estonia and Turkey team up with their Indian counterparts to render poetry at different locations.
“Unlike last year, when the session was conducted in a single location, the festival this time would be mobile, taking poetry to different sections of the society, as we felt that people are moving away from poetry. This time we will also hold an innovative session called ‘whispering poetry’, where we will render the poetry in whispers,” said Rati Saxena, poet and festival director of Kritya International Poetry Festival. She added that in turbulent times like these, it was important that some time be spent to slow down, in quietness, and that whispering poetry was for peace and to invoke calmness.
Forty poets, including ten from other countries, will participate in the festival. They include noted poets like Xanath Caraza from Mexico, Yesim Agaoglu from Turkey, Kate Newmann from Germany, Margus Lattik from Estonia and Afrizal Malna from Indonesia.
The festival will have a befitting start, with the theme ‘Back to Our Roots - offering a garland to master poet’, as the session kick-starts from Mahakavi Kumaran Asan Smarakam, the home of the legendary poet, in Thonnakkal. K C Joseph, Minister for Cultural Affairs, would inaugurate the Mahakavi Kumaran Asan Celebrations. The poets would pay tribute to Asan by rendering poems in their language, while Malayalam translations of the poems will be recited on stage simultaneously. Later in the day, based on the theme ‘Poetry across borders’, a session in international languages will be held at Alliance Francaise along with their English translations.
On the second day, the morning session themed ‘touching young hearts and minds’ will see poetry-reading at Government College for Women, Vazhuthacaud. The afternoon session titled ‘Poetry Therapy’ will see the poets offer poetry as therapy at KIMS Hospital. The poets will also interact with patients and doctors. “Poetry therapy, being tried for the first time India, is aimed at bringing peace and hope to the patients. We were also planning to add prison as one of the venues as poems can help in the emotive reformation for the inmates. But I am upset that our request was turned down,” says Rati.
The evening session based on the theme ‘Singing with the waves’ will be held by the seaside a Shangumugham Beach.
The final day’s session will begin with ‘Whispering Poetry’, where the poems will be rendered for 20 minutes in whispers at Vyloppilli Samskrithi Bhavan, followed by poetry reading by other poets.
The festival, started in 2005 by poet Ayyappa Panicker, is the only one holding the poetry festival in its traditional form in that there are no talks and only rendering of poems, adds Rati.