100 Great Indian Poems: Book Trailer

IFS Officer Nominated For Coveted Pushcart Prize

NEW DELHI – An Indian Foreign Service officer currently posted in Kathmandu has been nominated for the prestigious American ‘Pushcart Prize 2013’ by the Sahitya Akademi.

Already having authored eight books, including four poetry collections, Abhay K has been nominated for his three poems – ‘What’s a Beach’, ‘Masseur’ and ‘Everything has Secrets’.

“Indian Literature, the prestigious bi-monthly journal of the Sahitya Akademi, has nominated the poems which were published in May/June 2012 for the prestigious Pushcart Prize 2013,” the officer said.

The nomination has been made by Dr A J Thomas, the guest editor of Indian Literature, he added.

The Pushcart Prize is the most honored literary project in America of the best of the small presses since 1976.

The Pushcart Press publishes the award-winning entries of short stories, poetry and essays in its annual collections.

Nomination for Pushcart Prize is made by editors of literary magazines and small book presses and it could be any combination of poetry, short fiction, essays or literary whatnot, he said.

Abhay’s forthcoming book ‘Seduction of Delhi’ is a collection of poems. As a widely published poet, his collections include Enigmatic Love, Fallen Leaves of Autumn, Candling the Light and Remains.

Russian translation of his poems have appeared in renowned literary journals such as Literary St Petersburg and Sphinx.

His poems have also appeared in several poetry anthologies published in UK and US.

The officer has earlier served in Russia and at the Public Diplomacy Division of the External Affairs Ministry, heading its digital diplomacy initiative. In 2011, he got an award on behalf of Public Diplomacy Division of the Ministry.              (PTI)

Indian Literature publishes poems of Abhay K

The latest issue of Indian Literature (269, June-July 2012) - the flagship publication of Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters carries four of Abhay K. Kumar's (my) poems- A Paradox, What's a Beach, Masseur and Everything has Secrets. More 

Remains

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.

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