Melbourne Celebrates Sarangi’s Poetry

On the 4th of May, the Asia Hub, RMIT University, Melbourne in Australia witnessed a rare programme with the poet from another tram city, Kolkata, Jaydeep Sarangi.

His latest collection of poems, “Note on the Rock of Job Charnock” published through Black Eagle, USA was ceremoniously released in the hands of Emilie Collyer, a renowned poet and artist based in Melbourne. During the QA session Emilie asked some pertinent questions to Jaydeep Sarangi and the poet replied referring to his long associations with Aussie colleagues and poets in different parts of Australia. He started with Amelia Walker of Adelaide.

Then, he elaborated on the Northern River poets ( Rob Harle, N Buckland, Thomaso Lonsdale and others) with whom he collaborated and made bridges across lands. Sarangi published articles on poetry in two prominent journals from that region, “Beyond the Rainbow” and “Nimbin Good Times”. Sarangi also read six poems from his recent collections, and all were related to the city of joy; past and present. He spoke about his poetic process and his relationship with the land and poet-at-arms with whom he worked.

Sarangi stressed on poetry journals in India and Australia where collaborations are on. Emilie referred to her reading sessions with “The Hearth Within”. Jaydeep Sarangi remarked, English poetry in today’s India is powerful, vibrant and soul- calming. He named a few contemporary poets and their recent works to whom he returns everyday. He mentioned Bibhu Padhi, Basudhara Roy and Mamang Dai for their linguistic embellishments and tremendous intensity in writing. Sarangi claims, poetry blurs distance. It humanises us in violent times. Therefore, we need to be involved in poetry movement more, faithfully. The audience liked Sarangi’s poems dealing with the existence/ roots of Kolkata before Job Charnock.  Streets like Prince Anwar Shah Road, James Long Sarani have become vibrant nerve centre for food lovers now.

Melbourne anchored poet Lesh Karan was invited to read from Sarangi’s and to read her poems for the occasion. Brigid Magner of RMIT shared her experiences of India and she was praised by all present for all arrangements of the event. For Sarangi, poetry is the finest gift in man and through poetry he met most noble soul(s) of the world.

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