K. Satchidanandan reads from Abhay K.'s Candling the Light

Noted poet and literary critic K. Satchidanandan reads from poet-diplomat Abhay K's latest poetry book Candling the Light at the Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi

Abhay K latest poetry book Candling the Light released

Abhay K.'s third collection of poems from the period 2005-2007 was released at Sahitya Akademi in New Delhi by Director General of ICCR Suresh K. Goel in presence of K. Satchidanandan, J.P. Das, A.J. Thomas, Sandeep Marwah and Padma Sri awardee artist S.V. Rama Rao. Amb. Bal Anand, Amb. Surinder Malik, Amb. Amarendra Khatua and other senior official and diplomats.

Abhay K.'s interview to The Hindu

Abhay K.'s interview to The Hindu on the occasion of the release of his new poetry book Candling the Light

Poet Abhay K. whose latest anthology, “Candling the Light”, releases this Thursday tells Anjana Rajan of his vision for humanity

Shastri Bhawan, home to many government offices, is not what one associates with the stuff of poetry. Yes, one might think of it as the place where files moulder and dreams await fulfilment, sometimes for endless years. But a place where dreamers go daily and work for the betterment of society? Not quite the right use of words, one would object. Yet this is where you will find poet Abhay K., an Under Secretary in the Government of India's External Affairs Ministry. What's more, he sees no dichotomy between his job and his poet's vocation.

Advance praise for Abhay K.'s new poetry book Candling the Light

Candling the Light is a collection of unassumingly plain meditations on everyday life shorn off the usual poetic embellishments. They are soothingly optimistic considering the tension-fraught world that we live in.

- K. Satchidanandan,Noted Poet & Literary Critic of India

In Candling the Light the poet looks for the cosmos in the depths of his own heart and asks questions from the universe to know himself and the meaning of human existence.

- Prof. Guzel V. Strelkova, Moscow State University

Candling the Light is about poet's desire to make  difference to someone's life through his poetry. When he reminisces about the past he is moving. Recollections of his grandmother and father strike a deeply poignant note that we can identify with.

 - Jehanara Wasi, Editor of several books of poetry

Abhay K.'s poetry gives Indian English poetry a fundamentally new supranational character, at the same time preserving traditions.

- Prof. Irina Burova, St. Petersburg State University

Through the poems in the collection Candling the Light, Abhay K. brings out the beauty and grace of the human mind in meditation, through well-chosen words that fit into rare aesthetic patterns. 

-Dr.A.J.Thomas, Editor, Indian Literature

Candling the Light is, arguably, the most refreshing and noteworthy of Abhay K.'s works till date, especially in its orientation around key human emotions and experiences, like love, loss, family ties, spontaneous kindness from a stranger et al. 

- Gautam Chakrabarty, Ast. Professor Eng. Lit. Delhi University