The Poetry Pharmacy
Good News for all those seeking poetry’s soothing balm: it can now be found in London’s Oxford Street, of all the unlikely places, just a few steps east of Oxford Circus tube.
At 175-179 Oxford Street, The Poetry Pharmacy, is just above scent-haven LUSH, with a stunning first-floor panorama overlooking London’s busiest shopping street.
Not only will you find an excellent selection of poetry for all tastes, but you can park your bottom and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee while you browse.
You might even find a copy of Sudeep Sen’s environmental potpourri, Anthropocene.
The Poetry Pharmacy calls itself an emporium “for the restoration of the self”, and it’s the brainchild of Deb Alma and Jim Sheard, part of their aim to “deliver poetry to people who don’t usually encounter it.”
Their prescription for mental health is poetry anywhere, everywhere.
Bullseye, don’t you think?
Khushwant Singh Literary Festival 2024
The Festival, named after the famous Sikh poet and philosopher, surprised us all this year by extending its reach from the ample and modern Brunei Gallery of SOAS (the School of Oriental and African Studies, London University) to the mediaeval charms of Cambridge.
True to form, the Festival provided a celebration of all things Indian, via a galaxy of themes and speakers. Mixing current affairs, personalities and music with philosophy, sports and statesmanship.
Proceedings began with introductions from the Festival’s sponsors, Lord Bilimoria, Dr. Yusuf Hamied, Dr. Heather Elgood, and Zed Cama. Almost immediately after, we were into controversy, as scientific historian Subhadra Das, who is also a broadcaster and comedian, was deftly quizzed by BBC producer Paul Waters about her recently-published book, Uncivilized, neatly summarized as “Ten lies that made the West”.
After lunch, we were invited to ponder democracy; and then the major spiritual paths which are India’s gift to the world- Hinduism, Buddhism and Sikhism. After tea, we were introduced to her “Magical Life” by Pinky Lilani, a champion of female excellence who has gained worldwide recognition. The day was neatly rounded off by haunting music from the Jawari Collective. Sunday provided a similarly varied diet for hearts and minds.
The Festival then moved to Christ’s College, Cambridge, which has a separate building, the Yusuf Hamied Theatre, where we engaged with speakers as diverse as Mihir Bose, Amit Roy and the Master of Christ’s himself, Lord Simon McDonald.
Lord Simon gave a characteristically spirited view of Britain’s position in the world as seen by the UK’s former top Civil Servant, before signing copies of “Beyond Britannia” at the Pippa Rann bookstall, where copies of books from publishers other than Pippa Rann Books were also available throughout the festival in Cambridge as well as in London.
The Festival was rounded off with a profound “thank you” to patrons, sponsors, supporters, participants and speakers, by Rahul, Khushwant Singh’s son, who also paid a grateful tribute to its organizer, Niloufer Bilimoria.
John Oakes
“East and West: Stories of India” by Catherine Ann Jones
Acclaimed Broadway playwright and actor, Catherine Ann Jones, was married to Raja Rao, one of India’s three literary giants who for the first time in the 1930s established the international reputation of Indian fiction in English. Catherine has, over several decades, spent several months each year in India. Not surprising, then, that she conjures up India’s shimmering complexity of cultures and traditions on the page with unequalled skill.
Her first collection of original tales, East and West: Stories of India, is written with the passion and insight of someone describing her own past. As she told a recent international web seminar, organized by Myth Salon: “I don’t believe we have former lives -they are a fact. Characters from my past stand round my bed at night. I myself was once a Devadasi, or sacred temple dancer, at a time when this was a highly skilled and respected profession.”
Ever since her first visit to India as a prizewinning student, Jones has returned to India almost every year for substantial periods of time, entering her Indian experiences fully, and later bringing her Jungian insight and western perspective to bear on the emotional ambivalence that India provokes in most visitors. She quotes Albert Camus: “Fiction is the lie through which we tell the truth”, and adds, “Life is a search for one’s self, and India makes you see yourself. Indians do not believe in mythology -they live it.”
The result, inevitably, is an enchanting series of stories, each one giving an insight into India’s complex and challenging beauty. Dive in, and you will be immersed in the eternal mystery and serenity which is India. Each of these stories is worthy of a film in its own right.
Whether it is the century-spanning tale of a past life, or the present-day drama of Prime Minister Gandhi’s assassination, each story is expertly crafted; and each one shows how life in India continues to defy western logic, as only India can.
Our Newsletter Editor, John Oakes, read English at Cambridge University, U.K., and has been a journalist for 30 years.
NEWS FLASH:
– Agreement has just been signed for a new annotated edition of Mahatma Phule’s Gulamgiri to be published in association with Forward Press, New Delhi (watch for further announcements).
OTHER NEWS:
– Hindu Astrology: Myths, Symbols & Realities by Dr. A. P. Stone continues to draw interest from the media, academia, and leaders among Vedic Astrologers. Particularly interesting to see the book review by Vishaal Gupta, CEO and Founder of PowerFortunes [https://www.powerfortunes.com], who said,
“Dr. Stone explores the depths of astrology from where Vedic astrological concepts evolve from the primordial soup of spiritual and mythological belief. At PowerFortunes.com we like to think that most of our content reflects the more serious side of practical astrology. Sure, we do have our share of generic zodiac sign predictions, because that is what a vast majority of our loyal visitors look forward to. But we also delve into some of the more complex ideas surrounding astrology and is where I found many parallels between the ideas put forward in “Hindu Astrology” and those expressed in many of our own articles.”
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