Tri-country poetry symposium held

BY A STAFF REPORTER,Lalitpur, Sept. 23: The solemn stage of Little Angels College of Hattiban came alive all of a sudden with the miscellaneous blend of poetry from three countries of South Asia recently in Lalitpur. 

At the tri-country poetry conference hosted by the PEN International Nepal Chapter, poets from Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka were gathered. The event provided a platform for sharing poetic works, reflecting on themes of identity, culture, and the collective human experience. The symposium opened up with a powerful session that underscored the cultural connections among the three nations. 

Poets shared pieces that highlighted the rich traditions of their countries. While addressing contemporary issues, and illustrating the transformative power of poetry, they addressed both emotional and social concerns.

Moreover, the participants reflected the enduring power of poetry to connect people across cultural and national boundaries. The function reaffirmed poetry’s role as a vital force in building empathy, promoting dialogue and highlighting unity.

Participants from Sri Lanka, including Chulananda Samaranayake, Janapriya Gamage, Thanuja Ayagama and Jayalia Jeewanthi delivered moving recitations that left a lasting impact. 

On the other hand, Moom Rahman, a poet and translator from Bangladesh, recited his short poems and expressed his opinion to build people’s network for collective literary works in the days to come.  

From Nepal, poets including Bhisma Upreti, Sushama Acharya, Bidhan Acharya, Tanka Upreti, Avaya Shrestha, Mitra Bandhu Poudel,  Moni Bijay, SumanVarsha, Ranjana Niraula, Shiromani Dawadi, Ujala Kapali, Rupsingh Bhandari, Mukunda Raj Sharma and Sudha Mishra shared their insightful creations.

The function was presided over by the chairman of PEN International Nepal Chapter, Bhisma Upreti.