A ray of hope: Poetry trends in Calcutta

English poetry in Kolkata found itself blooming frutifully in the 1950s, often called the ‘transitional decade’. Romantic poetry then was represented by Toru Dutt and Sarojini Naidu. Among the poets then who belonged to the romantic school included B.D Shastri (his Tears of Faith published in 1950), Adi K. Seth (his Rain in my Heart […]

The Great Smog of India by Siddharth Singh

The Great Smog of India by Siddharth Singh

Right about the time I was finishing The Great Smog of India, I also read headlines such as: Delhi spends Christmas indoors as air quality severe on fourth dayandDelhi gasps for air, AQI recorded at 423. These are two among hundreds of such news pieces that emerge out of the capital annually. Siddharth Singh’s The […]

Poetry readings and book launches: Day 2 of Ethos Literary Festival

After a successful first day, the poets, their audience, and the critics once again gathered at Royal Banquets, Dumdum, Kolkata, to witness a day of engaging panel discussions and the much-awaited book launches (not before a hearty breakfast of course).   The internet, as of now, is flooded with poets, and it’s natural to notice […]

A little poetic, a little political: Day 1 at ELF 2018

On a cold winter morning in Dum Dum, poets, professors, publishers and authors gathered for the first ever bilingual literary fest of Kolkata, Ethos Literary fest, organized by the Ethos Literary Journal and powered by Hawakal Publishers. It aimed to rejoice poetry and poetic discussion in both English and Bangla, and to celebrate the independent […]

On the art of poetry and translation: Manu Kurup

Indian Poet Manu S Kurup

Over the weekend, poet Manu S Kurup will be participating in the Ethos Literary Festival 2018, speaking at the session, ‘Do critiques add value to poetry at all?’. We caught up with the poet over email, and in this exclusive interview to onWriting, he speaks about translating cartoons, the art of poetry critiques and his […]

Poetry: Woman And Her Muse by Lopamudra Banerjee

Woman and Her Muse by Lopamudra Banerjee

Musings are part of every poet’s journey to writing. Without musing, how can a poet write, dream, and nurture words to make them express his or her thoughts, beliefs, wanderings, religiosity and essence of being? Lopamundra Banerjee has put her womanhood at the centre and like a flower spreading its petals, out of that centre […]

Abhirup Dhar: Most publishers aren’t keen on short stories

Author Abhirup Dhar

The Ethos Literary Festival 2018 is set to take place in Dum Dum, Kolkata from December 22-23. As part of our partnership with ELF, we are bringing you author interviews, session details and profiles of the speakers you are likely to bump into. One of them is Abhirup Dhar, author of Once Again… With Love! and Stories […]

“Complex poems deceive the purpose of language”: Nikita Parik

Poet Nikita Parik from Kolkata

The Ethos Literary Festival 2018 takes place in Dum Dum, Kolkata, from December 22-23, 2018. From today, get to know your speakers better through our interview, as we understand their work and get a glimpse of the sessions they will be holding. First up is Nikita Parik, the 26-year-old poet with a Bachelor’s degree in English, […]

Day 1 Schedule: Ethos Literary Festival 2018

Ethos Literary Festival 2018

On December 22-23, 2018, Dum Dum in Kolkata will play host to the the Ethos Literary Festival 2o18, organised by the Ethos Literary Journal and Hawakal Publishers. Given this association, its heavy emphasis on poetry is not surprising. The bi-lingual fest will continue the trend of an emphasis on poetry that has been seen in […]

onWriting is the online media partner for Ethos Literary Festival 2018

Editor’s Note It’s the season of literature festivals and I have been busy looking at as many of them as possible to understand what the 333 fests, or at least some of them, are up to (on which a longer analytical feature will be out soon). It was on such a lit-hunt that I stumbled […]