Of Diversity, Working-Class Poetry and Peace

Sunil Sharma

Hi,

Here are the September servings for you.

Happy to share that Setu crossed more than 40 lakh views sometime back. 

An important milestone for the monthly online bilingual journal with its motto of “Dil-se-dil-tak", things that directly touch hearts; the heart-to heart communication, connections forged via arts.

Another glittering milestone worth mentioning: The current issue carries three special calls!

 

Yes, three calls! A feat of its kind!

 

Critical initiatives taken up by your favourite journal with a desire to serve you fine creations that are relevant and timely.

 

It is a record for any journal---triple calls; triple special sections, combined with the general section running prose and poetry.

 

A remarkable feat achieved by our eminent guest-editors and poets!

 

Guest edited by brilliant professionals who are also brilliant writers. 

 
Broad categories and themes handled by the invited poets in the following calls given by Setu globally, and happy to say, the responses were pretty overwhelming.
 
The titles are self-explanatory:

 

---Towards Visibility: Poetry by BIPOC, Women, Individuals with Disabilities and Non-Binary Voices. Guest-edited by Anita Nahal, Sangeeta Sharma & Candice Louisa Daquin
 
According to the poet Anita, the focus was on diversity and minority voices, linguistic variety and flexibility: "This extraordinary issue of Setu is, therefore, exclusive as it’s rare to have a collection of so many minority voices in one issue…thirty in all! We have retained the variances of American, British, and other forms of English be it, to offer a smidgeon of linguistic variety and flavor. We have also preserved the different grammatical usages because we believe that poetry is a genre that allows us to experiment more with language than any other writing medium."
 
Indeed!
 

---British Working Class Poetry. Guest-edited by Paul Brookes
 
Talking of his experience of curating this for the second time, Paul---a poet who loves to articulate the views of this class in his incisive poetry--- says in the guest-editorial: "These are vibrant, important voices that should be heard. I am glad to be given a platform, to
promote their intimate, angry, domestic and incisive accounts, and pointed lessons for us all. In the spirit of the Chartist poets who insisted on being heard, on encouraging and cajoling those without a voice to make themselves heard."
Yes, the world is listening, Paul and his poets!
 
---Poetry as a Medium of Peace. Guest-edited by Paramita Mukherjee Mullick
 
Explaining the process, poet Paramita shares her thoughts on this urgent call for action: "September being a special month of Peace as 21st September is celebrated as the International Peace Day, Setu worships Peace through Poetry. Twenty-one
brilliant poets from all around India and the world have come together to usher
in peace with their emotions, their expressions and their words. It was a
wonderful and enriching experience to go through their poems." 
 
We heartily agree!

 

.
 
The general section carries prose and poetry that is equally thrilling.
Famous author-poet Santosh Bakaya shares her favourite works with us.
 
Our deep gratitude to the guest-editors and all the featured contributors for their support.
 
Hope you enjoy the spread. 

Take care!

Sunil Sharma,

Editor, Setu (English)

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Setu, September 2023