MUMBAI: Delhiites are in for a poetic treat that will resonate for a very long time. Delhi Poetry Festival is back with its 6thedition and how! 

“After a gap of 3 odd years the poetic saplings sprout again. Delhi Poetry Festival is back and back with a kind of dancing glory. We have a galaxy this time of some of the finest names there are in the field of poetry and areas related to poetry. And this is thanks to Dolly Singh and Sanjay Arora for putting together this fabulous event at the (India) Habitat Centre. I wish them all the very best Here’s wishing the festival all the very best and this is also a kind of a call out to friends and acquaintances to throng to the venue and enjoy the event to the hilt”. These words from the famed composer, singer & lyricist Madan Gopal Singh quite sum up what’s in store over the coming weekend. 

Delhi Poetry Festival which was started in 2013 has been continuing to scale up the celebration of poetry with every edition. The fest that has brought together a galaxy of singers, lyricists, filmmakers, and famed poets together in its previous editions is all set to wow the poetry lovers again. 

Continuing our series of Conversation & Verses, we will feature lyricist & poet, Manoj Muntashir in an animated dialogue with filmmaker Brahmanand Singh to explore the nuances of poetry and song writing.

Delhi’s very own, Danish Iqbal will present some lesser explored nuances of Faiz Ahmed Faiz’s poetry. 

Ever wished that your emotion could come alive visually? Like a visual poem. With that ROFL funny moment coming alive just as you imagined it. Or the poignancy of that line from the poem coming out quite like you felt it. Poetry embraces other art forms to render a stronger expression and reach a wider audience.

Doodle-an-Emotion is an experiment that will be unveiled this year at the Delhi Poetry Festival. Doodler Sushil Bhasin will bring the art of doodling in context of poetry writing to explore the convergence.

The amphitheatre at the Indian Habitat centre will resonate with Hindi verses by Anamika, Savita Singh, and Devi Prasad Mishra. 

India is a land of fusion, be it languages, cultures, or expressions. Delhi Poetry Festival intends to bring out this unity in our diversity through a kaleidoscope of words – regional language poetry. Aptly titled The Melting Pot shall have recitation in various regional languages across India reaffirming the vision of Delhi Poetry Festival being inclusive. 

Writer, translator, and literary historian Rakhshanda Jalil observes, “Delhi Poetry Festival is the first of its kind standalone LitFest devoted exclusively to poetry. I like that it’s inclusive, multi-lingual, and pluralistic. In keeping with its egalitarian spirit, it searches and showcases both known voices and lesser-known poets”

Harpreet is a genre in himself. Having always charmed his listeners, Harpreet is back on stage, this time for a slightly different audience. An audience that’s much interested in the music but quite keen on the verses. And Harpreet has a very special way with that. He recites popular poets in an inimitable style that has to be seen to be believed. Come by for this rocking performance by a singer that refuses to be limited by a genre. And look out for the Harpreet special – Main Geet Bechta Hoon. 

Founder and festival director Dolly Singh says, “I believe poetry is the voice of change. It is both evolving as well as enlightening. It is immersive and substantive. The society today needs poetry to calm the turmoil that’s threatening to disrupt it. Poetry does just that”. 

Resonating the sentiment, Kathak exponent and scholar, Dr. Arshiya Sethi adds,” In difficult times poetry is a balm, a revitalize an incandescent celebration. In the post covid world, that has just about opened up, Delhi Poetry Festival is all this for me. I need it” 

The young budding poets, the future custodians of our society will also be receiving the Delhi Poetry Festival REX Karmaveer Poetry Awards & Fellowship, 2022 on the concluding day of the fest.

Delhi Poetry Festival, this year, has a superlative line up of erudite speakers that will keep the audience thoroughly engaged.