IPPL hosts Launch of ‘How Women Become Poems in Malabar’ book by Smitha Sehgal

It’s said, “all’s well that ends well”. So, it did, the last event of IPPL this year. It was another book launch hosted by IPPL(Intercultural Poetry and Performance Library). Delhi based poet, Smitha Sehgal’s ‘How Women Become Poems in Malabar’ was launched on the warm wintry evening of 21st December at ICCR library, Kolkata. The book was launched by Stalwart city poets, namely, Sanjukta Dasgupta, the President of IPPL, Gopal Lahiri, Prabal Kumar Basu and Rajorshi Patranabis. Sanjukta Dasgupta delivered the welcome note and the three other elite poets shared their views on Smitha’s book.

Erudite authors and poets discussed about the book. They were Maitreyee Bhattacharjee Chowdhury, Madhumita Majumdar, Tania Chakravertty, Navamalati Neog Chakravarty, Ajanta Paul and this session of panel discussion was very articulately moderated by Nishi Pulugurtha, the Secretary of IPPL. The poet, herself, expressed her views and shared her thoughts about the book.
This was followed by a poetry reading session. Poems from Smitha’s book were rendered by city poets, Amit Shankar Saha, Mallika Bhaumik, Nabanita Sengupta, Sanghita Sanyal, Rituparna Khan, Sarbani Chakravarti, Monica Louis and Monobina Nath.
A few of the poems from the book were translated into Assamese, Urdu and Bengali by Navamalati Neog Chakravarty, Sufia Khatoon and Paulami Sengupta respectively and rendered with poise and grace.
The event was very meticulously curated by Vice President of IPPL, Jaydeep Sarangi and the moderators, Rituparna Khan, Sarbani Chakravarti, Monica Louis and Monobina Nath and presented beautifully by wholehearted participation of all the members of IPPL from the City of Joy.

Poet Smitha Sehgal at her book launch event at ICCR Kolkata

It was indeed a phenomenal evening for IPPL that hosted the ending event of 2024