Society of Poetry and Indian Music
News & Events (Upcoming & Current)
A Mint of Mysticism Through Tagore and Maurice Maeterinck
On Jul 15, 2025 in Nehru Centre, London, 8 S Audley St, London W1K 1HF.
Nehru Centre, London, 8 S Audley St, London W1K 1HF
14-18 July 2025 Exhibition from 10am-5pm
Peorformance and art-production on Tuesday 15 July at the main auditorium at 6pm.
This art-initiatives entails art-exhibition from 14-18 July with a performance that re-interprets both Tagore and Maurice's mystic works.
Curated by poet T M Ahmed Kaysher, the peformance/ art-production on Tueday 15 July at 18:15 is bringing a neo-metaphysical interpretation of mystic poems and metaphysical music compositions (A unique Indian mysticism) by the first non-European Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore and the first Belgian Nobel laureate in literature, who received Nobel prize just two years before Tagore, in 2011, Maurice Maeterlinck with both comparison and resemblance of Indian and European idea of metaphysical arts.
Tagore's composition, with the depth of relevant Raga will be presented by Vidushi Chandra Chakraborty ( Chandra Chakraborty » South Asian Arts ), one of the finest classical vocalists here in the UK, an SRA scholar who toured the world preaching predominantly Indian classical music with a group of some critically acclaimed spoken-word artists, musicians and dancers.
The visual interpretation of both music and poetry will be rendered by Kathak dance and 16 pieces of painting created on the mystic poetry of both Tagore and Maurice. In addition to the exhibition in the Gallery, these paintings will be projected on the screen while the relevant poetry or music is being presented on the stage.
This is a well curated event with seamless amalgamation of poetry, music, dance and a curation to glue up different arts to create a new philosophical interpretation of mysticism.
Registration link:
Saudha International Literature Festival | Senedd the Welsh Parliament
From Oct 2, 2025 to Oct 2, 2025 in Cardiff Bay, Cardiff, CF99 1SN.
Thursday 2 October 2025 at 12 noon to 13:30
The Welsh Parliament, Neuadd, Oriel, Cardiff Bay, Cardiff, CF99 1SN
The festival preaches the art and beauty of imagination, languages from different cultural heritages through talks, reading, performances.
This is part of Saudha’s critically acclaimed literature Festival that contemplates re-reading/ re-interpreting the works of literary giants of the world and explores the philosophical insights on many unconventional literary themes and movements through reading, performances, poetry-theatres, talks etc.
In collaboration with a Cardiff based art-organisation Club 1400, sponsored by the cabinet secretary for finance Mark Drakeford MS and curated by T M Ahmed Kaysher, the session will feature a few leading contemporary poets as well as giants from diverse traditions of last centuries to re-define both intellectual, political, emotional and spiritual discourses of the word PEACE through a series of insightful and haunting presentations.
Free registration:
Rhymes for River & Planting Poetry in Parliament
From Dec 18, 2025 to Dec 18, 2025 in The Holyrood Room, The Scottish Parliament, Horse Wynd, Edinburgh EH99 1SP.
Thursday 18 December at 17:30 to 19:30
The Holyrood Room, The Scottish Parliament, Horse Wynd, Edinburgh EH99 1SP
Sponsored by Foysol Choudhury MSP and curated by Chandra Chakraborty and T M Ahmd Kaysher, the session features a hypnotic Saudha production RHYMES FOR RIVER AND PLANTING POETRY IN PARLIAMENT, a unique art-initiative on that combines classical music, poetry-theatre, dance and painting. The production vivifies a fresh philosophical connotations of river in addition to redifine the relation between nature and human as well as climate-awareness.
Saudha International Literature Festival | Centenary of Eugen Gomringer | Book Launch
From Aug 24, 2025 to Aug 24, 2025 in Crossrail Roof Garden, Canary Wharf, E14 5AB.
Sunday 24 August 2025 at 4pm
Crossrail Roof Garden, Canary Wharf, E14 5AB
The festival preaches the art and beauty of imagination, languages from different cultural heritages through talks, reading, performances.
This is part of Saudha’s critically acclaimed literature Festival that contemplates re-reading/ re-interpreting the works of literary giants of the world and explores the philosophical insights on many unconventional literary themes and movements through reading, performances, poetry-theatres, talks etc.
The session in Canary Wharf focuses on the birth-centenary celebration of BolivianSwiss concrete poet Eugen Gomringer through talks on concrete poetry, performances from his works and relevant music presentations.
The session will also feature a book launch for a poetry collection, I SING TO THE GREENHEARTS by one of the finest British-Guyanese poets, Maggie Harris.
Free registration link:
In The Quest of Mist & Mystic Melodies of Maurice & Tagore
From Jun 27, 2025 to Jun 29, 2025 in Writers' Residency, Lower Brinsop Brinsop Hereford HR4 7AT.
Writers' Residency, Lower Brinsop Brinsop Hereford HR4 7AT
Friday to Sunday 27-29 June, all day and all night with a public performance on Sat 28 June at 18:30
This is an artists' residency to shape an idea of touring concert that re-interprets metaphysical melodies of Tagore and Maurice Maeterlinck
In the stunning Writers' House ( curated by one of the finest poets in the UK and a well-known academic Fiona Sampson as a leading biographer and academic well as Peter Salmon ) at Lower Brinsop in #Hereford surrounded by 12th century's church, Neolithic earthwork castle, Arthur's seat, beautiful barn and farm-houses, river Wye, peaceful nature, a group of poets, musicians will delve into the depth of metaphysical melodies ( along with philosophy) of beautiful barn and farm-houses, river Wye, peaceful nature, a group of poets, musicians will delve into the depth of metaphysical melodies ( along with philosophy) of two of the finest Nobel Laureates in literature - #Rabindranath #Tagore ( Nobel Prize - 1913) and #Maurice #Maeterlinck ( Nobel Prize - 1911) and to re-interpret their works shedding a new light on their mystic and metaphysical works from Friday 27 June to Sunday 29 June ( all day and all night) with a public performance on Saturday 28 June at 18:30.
This will be shaped in a touring concert and tour around the UK and Europe.
This art-initiative is featuring one of the finest Indian classical vocalists Chandra Chakraborty, a national award-winning Ukranian musician Eka, a Belgian violinist Hans Vermeersch, poet and fictionist Shree Ganguly, poet Ahmed Kaysher, Dr Ejaz Huq and more.
Regestration link:
Tagore and Twilight | Asian Cultural Centre
From Jun 21, 2025 to Jun 21, 2025 in Manzil Way, Oxford OX4 1GH.
Asian Cultural Centre, Manzil Way, Oxford OX4 1GH
Saturday 21 June 2025 at 3pm
This is a collaborative concert presented by an acclaimed music group based in Oxford that predominately preaches Tagore's work - Udayan - its group performance and then, Saudha's haunting art-production Tagore and Twilight presented by one of the finest interpreters of Indian classical music Chandra Chakraborty and a prominent Belgian violinist Hans Vermeersch.
Curated by poet T M Ahmed Kaysher, Saudha's production will also feature presentation of visceral verses of Tagore by a talented poet and fictionist Shree Ganguly.
Chandra Chakraborty - One of the finest Hindustani classical vocalists, an author, a distinguished exponent of the Kirana Gharana, will grace the evening with her artistry. A national scholar and gold medallist of All India Radio, she trained under the legendary Pandit A. Kanan, Vidushi Malabika Kanan, and Padma Vibhushan Vidushi Girija Devi. Now based in London, Chandra is recognised as one of the leading exponents of North Indian classical and semi-classical vocal music in the UK.
Hans Vermeersch - internationally acclaimed, multiple award-winner violin soloist, will present a medley of violin repertoire. Hans has performed extensively across the globe and formerly conducted the Royal Harmony De Zeegalm en Strijkers in Knokke-Heist. A connoisseur of Indian fusion music, Hans has notably transcribed the works of Rabindranath Tagore into Western staff notation, bringing them to audiences worldwide.
The afternoon's programme will feature both solo and collaborative performances by Chandra Chakraborty and Hans Vermeersch. Short presentations by Udayan and Saudha will complement the concert, enriching the thematic tapestry of East and West in harmony.
Ticket link:
Saudha International Literature Festival | Manzu Islam | Godzilla & The Song Bird - Book launch
From Jun 14, 2025 to Jun 14, 2025 in Kobi Nazrul Centre, 30 Hanbury Street, London, E1 6QR.
Kobi Nazrul Centre, 30 Hanbury Street, London, E1 6QR
Saturday 14 June 2025 at 17:30
The festival preaches the art and beauty of imagination, languages from different cultural heritages through talks, reading, performances.
This is part of Saudha's critically acclaimed literature Festival that contemplates on re-reading/ re-interpreting the works of literary giants of the world and explores the philosophical insights on many unconventional literary themes and movements through reading, performances, poetry-theatres, talks etc.
Curated by T M Ahmed Kaysher, this session mainly focuses on book-Lunch for a very powerful fiction with extremely unique, original and intriguing storytelling called GODZILLA AND THE SONG BIRD by an acclaimed British Asian fictionist Manzu Islam. The session features talks and reading from the book by writer and the founder of Disability and Development Partners Kamala Achu, writer Naz Yacoob, writer and academic Munasir Kamal progressive political activist and national award-winning social justice campaigner Cllr Jasmin Chowdhury writer and archivist Rawan Mohamed academic and filmmaker Dr Ashvin Devasundaram poet and playwright John Farndon poet and fictionist Dr David Lee Morgan along with Q & A with writer of the book Godzilla & the Songbird Dr Manzu Islam + a brief introductory talk from cultural activist Ananta Kashem.
Manzu Islam was born in East Pakistan (later Bangladesh) where he lived through the 1971 war, walking the swamps for weeks to reach the refugee camps in India, then returning to fight as a freedom fighter. He came to England as a political refugee and, after studying for a degree and working as a racial harassment officer in East London, he became interested in writing. He has a doctorate and taught at the University of Gloucestershire, specialising in postcolonial literature and creative writing. He has written four earlier books including The Mapmakers of Spitalfields (1997), an anthology of short stories set both in Bangladesh and the East End, Burrow (2004) about an illegal immigrant in East London and The Song of our Swampland (2011).
His writing grows out of his memories of Bangladesh and the experience of working as a racial harassment officer in East London at the height of the National Front provoked epidemic of ‘Paki-bashing’ which terrorised the lives of many Bangladeshis and other Asians in the area. Experiences from these years fed into the stories in The Mapmakers of Spitalfields, which reflect both the trauma of racism, but also the creativity and achievement of Bangladeshis remaking their lives in Britain. Equally, the stories that reflect on memories of Bangladesh focus both on the bloody atrocities of the civil war which brought Bangladesh independence from Pakistan and of a rich culture which sustains the exiled imagination in the deepest ways.
He is also the author of a non fiction book, The Ethics of Travel: from Marco Polo to Kafka (Manchester University Press, 1996) which explores the question: how is it possible for us to encounter those who are different from us - racially, culturally and geographically - and what are the consequences of such encounters?
Kobi Nazrul Centre has been offered as support in kind by Tower Hamlet Council.
Registration link:
Saudha Initiative - Planting Poetry, Music & Dance in the Park
From Jul 27, 2025 to Jul 27, 2025 in Victoria Park, Bandstand, Grove Road, London E3 5TB.
Victoria Park, Bandstand, Grove Road, London E3 5TB
Sunday 27 July 2025 from 1pm to 5pm
An ecstasy of #Music. #Dance & #Poetry in the #VictorialPark #London.
Please join us for an exciting #picnic in the park on Sunday 27 July from 2pm onward.
An ecstasy of #music . #dance & #Poetry at the lap of the nature in #VictorialPark featuring Saudha's wonderful line of poets, musicians and dancers.
The session is happening at the beautiful bandstand by the grove road entrance and nurtured by Friends of Victoria Park.
Registration link: