The Indian poet-diplomat, Abhay K, spoke to Prabha Khaitan Foundation about everything from his writing process to his new book
It was a special day when Prabha Khaitan Foundation, under its The Write Circle initiative, organised a memorable session with the Indian poet-diplomat, Abhay K, at the Hotel Chanakya in Patna, to talk about everything from his writing process to his new book, The Book of Bihari Literature. Abhay was in conversation with Divya Gautam.
At the beginning, Gautam asked Abhay about his journey and how it started. “In the year 2003, I joined the Indian Foreign Service,” replied Abhay. “I wrote my first book, River Valley to Silicon Valley, during my stint in Moscow. That was the beginning of my poetry writing as well. Till date, I have had 12 books of poetry published, including The Book of Bihari Literature. My diplomatic journey complements my literary journey.”
What is the driving force behind The Book of Bihari Literature? “The absence of Magahi (a local dialect of Bihar) literature forced me to write a poem about it,” said the writer. “That’s how the journey of this particular book started.” Abhay went on to recite a few of his poems as well as the works of other poets included in the book.
“The absence of Magahi (a local dialect of Bihar) literature forced me to write a poem about it. That’s how the journey of this particular book started.”
When Gautam asked about the selection procedure of poets for his book, Abhay said that he talked to many contemporary writers who helped him to structure this book. “I would like to mention that this book has more pieces written by women than by men.” How is women’s writing different from writing about women and marginalised communities? In response, Abhay quoted a story written by the Hindi writer, Kavita, and said that such insightful stories can only be written by a woman.
The conversation included many interesting questions related to translation, writing processes, and the challenges that one might face in the foreign services. Abhay answered all of them eloquently. The audience’s questions and Abhay’s interesting replies made the event successful. The session concluded with a vote of thanks and a felicitation of the author.
The Write Circle Ranchi was presented by Shree Cement Limited in association with Hotel Chanakya and with the support of Ehsaas Women of Patna.
