Jibanananda Utsav is being held at East London’s Richmix Theater on Sunday, February 19, about the life and literature of Jibanananda Das, one of the Bengali poets of the 20th century.
Organized by the Soudh Society of Poetry and Indian Music, the premier organization of South Asian art in Britain, the festival will feature various performances by renowned Bengali and non-Bengali poets, writers, theorists, musicians and dancers. The main aim of this festival is to promote the limitless rich tradition of Bengali literature by presenting the timeless literature of Jibanananda, one of the leading modern poets of India after Rabindranath, on the world stage, said the director of the monument poet TM Ahmed Kaiser.
Poet John Fardon, BBC Slam Champlain poet David Lee Morgan, poet and translator Stephen Watts, poet and prose writer Sri Ganguly will talk about the possibility of various constructions/deconstructions or reconstructions of Jibanananda’s poetry in the 21st century. German, Uzbek and Polish translations of Jibanananda’s poems will be read by poet Amy Nelson Smith, poet Khasiat Rastamova and poet Aleksandra Smerenchanska, respectively. The Oriya and Urdu translations will be read by poet Mana Das and artist Samia Malik respectively. Flamenco dancer Mercedes Avla Caballero will take part in a Spanish translation reading by Argentinian poet Gaby Sambusetti and a dance performance.
Poet Eric Shilander, Poppy Shahnaz, Dr. Zaki Rezwana Anwar, Poet Sarwar E Alam, Councilor Jasmin Chowdhury, Poet Tanzina Noor-e Siddique, Soma Das, Sanjay Das and Prapa Rezwana Anwar will read from Jibanananda’s poems. Young bassist Mayukhjit Chakraborty is behind the music composition and performance.
Indian classical dancers Aritri Kundu, Manideepa Sheel, Esha Chakraborty Bhatracharya and Ishita Sinha will be performing the scenes of Jeebananda Das’ poem.
Soudh director TM Ahmed Kaiser said, Soudh has been organizing this for the last two years and fortunately we have noticed a huge response to this festival in the British literary circles. Jibanananda Das is an unforgettable name not only in Bengali poetry after Rabindranath, but also in the world of world poetry. Through this event, we want to introduce a completely new poet to the people who love poetry.
South-Asian literature paper Granthi and Radharaman Society are in overall support of the festival.
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