Poems, meet people!
Strap: A city’s stage opens to voices near and far — Bengaluru Poetry Festival returns this August 2
Blurb:
This year, the festival is going greener than ever. Our children’s stage literally sits on the roots of a 700-year-old banyan tree. We hope to enhance the audience’s experience and create a seamless feeling of a contiguous indoor/outdoor space—something that encourages artistic expression
Lakshmi Sankar, co-founder
Byline: Bindu Gopal Rao
Next week, the Bengaluru Poetry Festival turns eight. The number may seem modest, but in this relatively short span, the festival has carved a trusted identity for itself. Over the past eight years, it has seen participation from more than 450 poets, musicians, lyricists, and performers. The itinerary has consistently featured a vibrant mélange of performances, panel discussions, workshops, and readings — you name it.
Organised by the not-for-profit Bengaluru Poetry Festival Trust, the event brings poets and poetry from around the world to Bangalore, with a strong emphasis on regional and ethnic voices. A free-for-all celebration, the festival has earned a spot on the city’s must-attend cultural calendar.
“The venue for the festival this year is the Indiranagar Sangeetha Sabha – the heritage venue at the heart of Indiranagar. Also, this year, the festival is going greener than ever. Our children’s stage literally sits on the roots of a 700-year-old banyan tree. We hope to enhance the audience’s experience and create a seamless feeling of a contiguous indoor/outdoor space—something that encourages artistic expression,” Lakshmi Sankar, co-founder of the festival.
Bespoke vibes
The festival’s latest edition will spotlight recent poetry publications and feature a diverse range of poets and performers from across the country — from Durgapur to Delhi, and Kolkata to Coimbatore. The idea, organisers say, is to create a platform for the best and brightest voices, whether they are Namma Ooru’s own poets or literary talents from around the world.
Regional poetry will be well represented, with Yuva Puraskar awardee Parwati Tirkey, Sahitya Akademi winner Gagan Gill, Malayalam performance poet Anvar Ali, Bangalore-based Mizo poet Malsawmi Jacob, and more. The international line-up includes Emirati and Singaporean poets who will read in Arabic and also showcase translations of Cantonese works.
Lakshmi Sankar noted that the children’s line-up features two jam-packed days of programming — from storytelling and book readings to crafts, puppetry, poetry writing, illustration, and more. “The festival is designed to keep children happily occupied,” she explained, adding that there’s a new fun activity scheduled every half hour.
Highlights include storyteller and film star Janaki Sabesh, legendary illustrator-writer Ashok Rajagopalan, a storytelling session by Meera Ganapathi, and a hands-on puppet-making workshop by The Puppetarians.
The festival will also feature the UTKARSH Poetry Fellowship, instituted by Dr Neena Verma in memory of her son Utkarsh Verma. Created in association with the Bengaluru Poetry Festival, the fellowship honours his deep love for poetry and his unique talent in the art form.
As Robert Frost once famously said, “Poetry is when an emotion has found its thought and the thought has found words.” If that resonates with you, head to the Bengaluru Poetry Festival to explore the many facets of this literary form.
BOX – I
Oh! I know him!
- Debashish Lahiri, Anju Makhija, and Mamta Sagar.
- Learn about the poetry of Kishore Kumar songs with Anirudha Bhattacharjee and Balaji Vittal.
- International poets Ali Al Mazmi, Amal Al Sahlawi, Claudia Keelan, Daryl Lim Wei Jie, and Shirani Rajapakse in conversation with Jeet Thayil.
- Meet the editor of the newest Penguin book of poetry, Bilal Moin.
- Instagram celeb Meera Ganapathi, who just released her debut book of poetry.
- Day 2 will end with a performance by Ma Parvathy Baul—a stalwart of the Baul Tradition.
- From ‘Kal raat aaya ek chor’ to ‘Unse jaake kehdo,’ Justh will speak about his songwriting journey.
- Love Liberates, It Doesn’t Bind | Ramya Nambessan, actress and singer, on how she views the arts.
- Give Me Some Sunshine | Swanand Kirkire talks about being one of the most iconic lyricists in Bollywood.
- Muskaanein Jhooti Hai | Hitmaker Suman Sridhar talks about how she imbues her poetry and music with her signature sultry jazz.
- Neeraj Pandey and Ritwik Kaikini, both young poets who have begun making their mark on the world of film with their lyrics.
BOX – II
What, Where, When
- Venue: Sangeetha Sabha Purandara Bhavana, 8th Main Rd, 8th Cross, HAL 2nd Stage, Indiranagar, Bengaluru-560008
- For info contact Subodh at 98450 19705 or visit bengalurupoetryfestival.org for registrations.
- Timing: 10:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
- Date: August 2nd and 3rd, 2025
- Registration for the main festival is free on https://www.bengalurupoetryfestival.org/.
- Children’s fest passes are available at https://in.bookmyshow.com/events/children-s-fest-at-the-bengaluru-poetry-festival/ET00364529