The Bengaluru Poetry Festival is back for its sixth edition this weekend after a two-year break
The Bengaluru Poetry Festival (BPF) returns to the city this weekend after a gap of two years. Presented by Atta Galatta, the event spread over two days will see as many as 70 poets and artistes participating in various interactive sessions and workshops.
Subodh Sankar, founder of Atta Galatta and one of the organisers of BPF, says one of striking features of the festival is its inclusion of poetry in multiple languages. “We have readings by poets in different languages. We don’t restrict ourselves to a theme as it ends up creating boundaries where none need exist,” he says, adding, “It is a celebration of Indian poetry and a chance to bring those voices to a live audience.”
For Bengaluru-based poetess Mani Rao, the joy of being part of BPF is a celebration in itself. “The BPF is one of those events where there are no overlapping sessions; everyone can enjoy every module without having to scurry out of one halfway, just to attend another. Here, there will be two intense days poetry sessions. Today, there are so many people writing poetry in different styles and through their work one can get an idea of their views. The spoken word has really taken off in India,” says Mani, who is looking forward to meeting poets she has read at the fest as well as other members of the poet community.
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