For the 75th anniversary of India’s independence in 2022, Birmingham City University (BCU) and Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, New Delhi are proud to present a series of three online events celebrating the multilingual poetry of India and its diaspora.

India is home to an extraordinarily rich poetic heritage in many languages, and the United Kingdom is home to many poets and readers who share in that heritage. Poetry, like all language, crosses borders – and takes on new life in translation – connecting us and moving us in fresh and unpredictable ways, opening up new worlds of thought and feeling. Each of our three events will feature several Indian poets, representing the diversity of Indian poetry, and one British poet of Indian heritage. In the build-up to the commemoration of India’s 75th year of independence in 2022, and the Commonwealth Games held in Birmingham that year, these events will honour the intimate relationship between India and the United Kingdom, and the power of language to travel far beyond where it is first spoken.

Working in partnership with the Consulate General of India (Birmingham) and Writing West Midlands, these events are organised by Prof. Vivek Sachdeva at Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, New Delhi Prof. Vijita Singh Aggarwal, Director, International Affairs, GGSIP University Prof. Manpreet K. Kang, Dean, University School of Humanities and Social Sciences, GGSIP University with the Birmingham City University team of Prof. Alison Honour (Pro Vice-Chancellor for Faculty of Art, Design and Media), Prof. Rajinder Dudrah and Prof. Gregory Leadbetter of the Birmingham Institute of Media and English; Makhan Singh (Senior Development Manager, India Partnerships), Reece Enfield (Research & Development Administrator) and Chair of the BCU India Group, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Prof. Julian Beer.

The inaugural event will be on Saturday 18th September 11.30am to 1pm (UK time): 4pm to 5.30pm (IST).

If you have any questions regarding the event please email Indianevents@bcu.ac.uk and a member of the team will get back to you in due course.

BCU/GGSIPU Live Poetry Event