Book launch and tanka performance

On 28 August 2021, the British Haiku Society organised a book launch, on Zoom, of Kala Ramesh’s book ‘the forest i know’- a gathering of tanka verses, published by HarperCollins India. There were several friends, well-wishers, and admirers of Kala’s words in attendance. 34 poets were there for this event.

The event was peppered with beautiful dance recitals by Vrushali Chitali Lele, Devshree Athalye and Rekha Tandon. Alan Summers, and a very enthusiastic Karen Hoy, had a few questions for Kala about her life journey, that culminated into this beautiful collection of tanka verses. Kala revealed some important phases of her life that directly impacted her writing over the fifteen years of her journey in the haikai world, like how giving up organised religion 21 years ago, has made writing poetry what prayers are for others. That is liberating for her.

It was a lovely session of dance and poetry, bringing together poets and readers from across the globe.

Here’s the title poem from the book:

at twilight
the forest I know
by sight
becomes a forest of sound …
cicada summer

I wish to thank Iliyana Stoyanova for organising this event and Andrew Shimield who hosted this book launch. And to the many friends I recognised on the screen, a big thank you.

Write-up by Firdaus Parvez