Poetry of South Asia
This living and evolving digital and audio-visual collection explores the breadth, influence and poetic lineage of South Asia.
The Poetry Archive collects and preserves recordings of poetry written in English from around the world, read in the voice of the poets themselves. From Tagore to the present day, the Poetry of South Asia collection brings together previously archived recordings of poets from this region into one place, whilst welcoming new voices to the Archive.
The Poetry Archive raises funds to ensure we can continue to add new recordings that reflect the poetry of our age - you can help support our work by clicking here.
The Poetry of South Asia collection demonstrates the breadth and quality of English-language poetry from the region, featuring some of the most influential poets of the past alongside contemporary voices who continue that rich literary conversation today.
This collection celebrates and honours canonical poets who also write in English and have helped define modern South Asian poetry. The featured poets come from many places and contexts around the world, and our aim is to bring their voices to life while beginning to archive the vast and vital imaginative legacy they share.
Pioneering Modern South Asian Poetry
(1850-1970)
Poem
Poem
Poem 35 from ‘Gitanjali’ - Rabindranath Tagore
Poem
Poem 36 from ‘Gitanjali’ - Rabindranath Tagore
Poem
Poem
Poem
Awake (Invocation to India, Her Children Speak) - Sarojini Naidu
Poem
Laile (Nightfall in India) - Sarojini Naidu
Poem
Poem
Cradle Song (From Hindustan) - Sarojini Naidu
Poem
The Palanquin-Bearers - Sarojini Naidu
Poem
The Night of the Scorpion - Nissim Ezekiel
Poem
Poem
Poem
Poem 11 from ‘Gitanjali’ - Rabindranath Tagore
Poem
Translations of Kabir and Nirala - Arvind Krishna Mehrotra
Poem
Poem
For Sale or Rent - Arvind Krishna Mehrotra
Poem
The Nulla-Nulla in Nullah - Arvind Krishna Mehrotra
Poem
Laugh Club of Gandhi Park - Arvind Krishna Mehrotra
Poem
Defamation
Poem 35 from ‘Gitanjali’
Poem 36 from ‘Gitanjali’
The Beginning
When and why
Awake (Invocation to India, Her Children Speak)
Laile (Nightfall in India)
The Lonely Child
Cradle Song (From Hindustan)
The Palanquin-Bearers
The Night of the Scorpion
Mapping Memories
An Old Woman
Poem 11 from ‘Gitanjali’
Translations of Kabir and Nirala
Lahore
For Sale or Rent
The Nulla-Nulla in Nullah
Laugh Club of Gandhi Park
Kanheri Caves
Poet
Sarojini Naidu
B. 1879 D. 1949
Poet
Nissim Ezekiel
B. 1924 D. 2004
"We've always been proud of the Poetry Archive's aim to share the vast range of our unique and original recordings of poetry with everyone, free-of-charge. This collection offers another fabulous space to reflect past and contemporary poetry in its own full, roaring and wonderful voices. Dive in and explore!"
- Dr Tracey Guiry, Director, The Poetry Archive
Voices from Home and the World
(1980-2000)
Poem
Poem
‘Interpretation’ and ‘Prandial Plaint’ - Vikram Seth
Poem
Poem
Poem
Poem
Extracts from ‘Turner’ - David Dabydeen
Poem
Poem
Poem
Poem
Poem
Rainforest in the Sleep Room - Pascale Petit
Poem
Poem
Poem
Poem
At the Time of Partition (extract 2) - Moniza Alvi
Poem
How the Stone Found its Voice - Moniza Alvi
Poem
At the Time of Partition (extract 1) - Moniza Alvi
Poem
How the Sky Got a Hole in It - Moniza Alvi
Poem
How the World Split in Two - Moniza Alvi
Poem
Poem
I Would Like to be a Dot in a Painting by Miró - Moniza Alvi
Poem
Poem
What the Water Gave Me (VI) - Pascale Petit
Poem
Poem
Self-Portrait with Fire Ants - Pascale Petit
Poem
Fauverie IV (Black Jaguar) - Pascale Petit
Poem
Poem
Poem
Poem
Living Space / One Breath - Imtiaz Dharker
Poem
Poem
Poem
Poem
One Morning
‘Interpretation’ and ‘Prandial Plaint’
Diwali
Can’t
Catching Crabs
Extracts from ‘Turner’
Coolie Son
Coolie Odyssey
Coolie Mother
Her Tigress Eyes
Rainforest in the Sleep Room
Mama Amazonica
Jaguar Girl
Mermaid
At the Time of Partition (extract 2)
How the Stone Found its Voice
At the Time of Partition (extract 1)
How the Sky Got a Hole in It
How the World Split in Two
The Sari
I Would Like to be a Dot in a Painting by Miró
The Trick
What the Water Gave Me (VI)
The Strait-jackets
Self-Portrait with Fire Ants
Fauverie IV (Black Jaguar)
Emmanuel
The temporary face
The right word
Living Space / One Breath
Speech balloon
A Different History
The Stinking Rose
The Stare
Poet
David Dabydeen
B. 1955
Poet
Moniza Alvi
B. 1954
Poet
Pascale Petit
B. 1953
Poet
Imtiaz Dharker
B. 1954
Poet
Sujata Bhatt
B. 1956
Looking into the Future
(2000 - now)
Poem
Poem
As if a Leap Year wasn’t Enough - Jeet Thayil
Poem
Diminishing marginal utility - Jeet Thayil
Poem
Poem
Poem
The Ghost of Mr. Greatsoul - Jeet Thayil
Poem
Poem
Poem
Poem
Poem
Poem
The Habit of Hope - Seni Seneviratne
Poem
The Weight of the World - Seni Seneviratne
Poem
Poem
Operation Cast Lead - Seni Seneviratne
Poem
Poem
Poem
Making a cheese soufflé rise - Rishi Dastidar
Poem
The Brexit Book of the Dead - Rishi Dastidar
Poem
Neptune’s concrete crash helmet - Rishi Dastidar
Poem
A shark comes to dinner - Rishi Dastidar
Poem
When Landscape Becomes Woman - Arundhati Subramaniam
Poem
Poem
The Marketplace - Arundhati Subramaniam
Poem
Poem
Just in Case - Arundhati Subramaniam
Poem
How Some Hindus Find Their Personal Gods - Arundhati Subramaniam
Poem
Poem
Poem
Poem
Poem
Poem
Poem
Excerpts from ‘How to wash a heart’ - Bhanu Kapil
Poem
Excerpts from ‘Ban en Banlieue’ - Bhanu Kapil
Poem
Excerpts from ‘Incubation: a space for monsters’ - Bhanu Kapil
Poem
Excerpts from ‘Humanimal: A Project for Future Children” - Bhanu Kapil
Poem
Poem
Where I live - Arundhati Subramaniam
Poem
To The Welsh Critic Who Doesn’t Find Me Identifiably Indian - Arundhati Subramaniam
Poem
Poem
Andheri Local - Arundhati Subramaniam
Poem
Poem
Poem
Unmappable Moves - Sampurna Chattarji
Poem
Today Once More - Sampurna Chattarji
Poem
Poem
Poem
Neither Musk Nor Monsoon - Sampurna Chattarji
Poem
Poem
Poem
Space Gulliver has fallen in love - Sampurna Chattarji
Poem
Another Dimension - Sampurna Chattarji
Poem
All the goddesses I am not - Sampurna Chattarji
Poem
Poem
Mother and Daughter: a duet - Sampurna Chattarji
Poem
Dogs, Mobs and Rock Concerts - Sampurna Chattarji
Poem
Poem
Poem
The Lord is my Shepherd - Jeet Thayil
Poem
Poem
Poem
Poem
Poem
The Rain That Began Elsewhere - Mona Arshi
Poem
Poem
Poem
Jhoota Kunda Ballads: The Ghosts of Cranford Park! - Daljit Nagra
Poem
Poem
Poem
Archive for a Daughter - Sandeep Parmar
Poem
To Sleep Possum to Dream - Anthony Vahni Capildeo
Poem
On Not Writing As A West Indian Woman - Anthony Vahni Capildeo
Poem
Four Departures from ‘Wulf and Eadwacer’ - Anthony Vahni Capildeo
Poem
Inhuman Triumphs - Anthony Vahni Capildeo
Poem
Booking Khan Singh Kumar - Daljit Nagra
Poem
Poem
Poem
A Kind of Anthem
As if a Leap Year wasn’t Enough
Diminishing marginal utility
The Heroin Sestina
From ‘Premonition’
The Ghost of Mr. Greatsoul
To Baudelaire
The Bird
Taster
The Wasps
For Gaza
The Habit of Hope
The Weight of the World
Dear Dad
Operation Cast Lead
A Wider View
The Daughters
Making a cheese soufflé rise
The Brexit Book of the Dead
Neptune’s concrete crash helmet
A shark comes to dinner
When Landscape Becomes Woman
The Monk
The Marketplace
Questions for Akka Mahadevi
Just in Case
How Some Hindus Find Their Personal Gods
Bhakti
Confession
Mitti
Small Town
Pink Pyjama Suit
Aubade
Excerpts from ‘How to wash a heart’
Excerpts from ‘Ban en Banlieue’
Excerpts from ‘Incubation: a space for monsters’
Excerpts from ‘Humanimal: A Project for Future Children”
Collude
Where I live
To The Welsh Critic Who Doesn’t Find Me Identifiably Indian
Prayer
Andheri Local
Ancestress
Amber
Unmappable Moves
Today Once More
Third Eye
The Light
Neither Musk Nor Monsoon
Cities
Boxes
Space Gulliver has fallen in love
Another Dimension
All the goddesses I am not
East
Mother and Daughter: a duet
Dogs, Mobs and Rock Concerts
Salt
Late Elegy
The Lord is my Shepherd
Song
Tanka
Ghazal: Darkness
Something
The Rain That Began Elsewhere
Insomniac
Yellows
Jhoota Kunda Ballads: The Ghosts of Cranford Park!
Invocation
Against Chaos
Archive for a Daughter
To Sleep Possum to Dream
On Not Writing As A West Indian Woman
Four Departures from ‘Wulf and Eadwacer’
Inhuman Triumphs
Booking Khan Singh Kumar
Digging
8
Yobbos!
Poet
Seni Seneviratne
B. 1951
Poet
Vidyan Ravinthiran
B. 1984
Poet
Bhanu Kapil
B. 1968
Poet
Arundhati Subramaniam
B. 1973
Poet
Sampurna Chattarji
B. 1970
Poet
Jeet Thayil
B. 1959
Poet
Mona Arshi
B. 1970
Poet
Sandeep Parmar
B. 1979
Poet
Anthony Vahni Capildeo
B. 1973
Making the Poetry of South Asia
How the collection was made & additional resources
Article
Interview
An Interview with Sujata Bhatt
Sujata Bhatt is a poet of many different cultures: in this interview, she talks about her travels and how they've influenced her writing and lets us into the "private and inner world" of making poems.
Poem
Short Take: Pascale Petit on Love and Death - Pascale Petit
Poem
The Poet’s Toolkit with Imtiaz Dharker
Short Take: Pascale Petit on Love and Death
The Poet’s Toolkit with Imtiaz Dharker
This project was made possible with funding from National Heritage Lottery Fund.
