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Kolkata Classics, a book of verse, dedicated to the city
For Supriya Newar, author, poet, senior brand and communication strategist, music aficionado, connoisseur, and more,and not necessarily in that order; the city of Kolkata continues to be the muse for her recent creative oeuvre Kolkata Classics, a book of verse. Her earlier collection of short stories Kalkatta Chronicles was also based on the city. A slim hard cover volume of about 24 poems written in a lyrical rhythmic style,and intercepted by tasteful illustrations by Niharika Joshi, Kolkata Classics, offers a feel good factor for the denizens of the city. Reading the volume one immediately identifies with her affection for the city of her birth.
The volume is a tongue-in-cheek perspective of the city and its myriad layers andatypical nuances, idiosyncrasies, and peculiarities ranging from the quintessential Kolkata adda,as described by the poet ‘a free-wheeling conversation’, road-side pheriwalas(wandering vendors) and their poetry, jhalmuri, (spicy mix of puffed rice with condiments and mustard oil, though Supriya insists anglicised ‘mustard oil’ doesn’t quite do justice to the pungency of bangali sorsher tail), the Bengalis love affair with the monkey cap, and of course Feluda, the Bengali and Bengali’s Sherlock Homes immortalised by none other than auteur filmmaker Satyajit Ray. It wouldn’t be out of place to mention here the poet admits being a fan of Ray’s father the nonsensical verse writer Sukumar Ray. The volume uses Bengali words liberally with a detailed glossary, an afterword and an extensive poet’s note at the end adding value to the reading experience.
The book was launched at Starmark, South City, Kolkata on 13th April ’22 over a tete-a-tete between the poet and Raju Raman, Programme Consultant to the Victoria Memorial who punctuated the programme with apt songs in his mellifluous voiceover bharer cha and jhalmuri; no prizes for guessing that!
Published by Redomania, Kolkata Classics is available in all major book stores across the country and online on Amazon.
The volume is a tongue-in-cheek perspective of the city and its myriad layers andatypical nuances, idiosyncrasies, and peculiarities ranging from the quintessential Kolkata adda,as described by the poet ‘a free-wheeling conversation’, road-side pheriwalas(wandering vendors) and their poetry, jhalmuri, (spicy mix of puffed rice with condiments and mustard oil, though Supriya insists anglicised ‘mustard oil’ doesn’t quite do justice to the pungency of bangali sorsher tail), the Bengalis love affair with the monkey cap, and of course Feluda, the Bengali and Bengali’s Sherlock Homes immortalised by none other than auteur filmmaker Satyajit Ray. It wouldn’t be out of place to mention here the poet admits being a fan of Ray’s father the nonsensical verse writer Sukumar Ray. The volume uses Bengali words liberally with a detailed glossary, an afterword and an extensive poet’s note at the end adding value to the reading experience.
The book was launched at Starmark, South City, Kolkata on 13th April ’22 over a tete-a-tete between the poet and Raju Raman, Programme Consultant to the Victoria Memorial who punctuated the programme with apt songs in his mellifluous voiceover bharer cha and jhalmuri; no prizes for guessing that!
Published by Redomania, Kolkata Classics is available in all major book stores across the country and online on Amazon.
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