MOTHER-DAUGHTER DIALOGUE in Delhi

Brief Report of a Poetry Book Launch

 

The book Mother-Daughter Dialogue was launched in Delhi on the 27^th of April, 2024. It is a one-of-a-kind book by the mother-daughter duo Dr. Paramita Mukherjee Mullick and her daughter Sankalpita Mullick.

The book has been published by Penprints Publication. The venue was the cosy and comfortable ‘Prithvi Fine Arts and Cultural Centre’ owned by the bureaucrat, filmmaker, artist and poet Sangeeta Gupta. She not only hosted and moderated the launch but also released the book along with Dr. Sunil Sharma and Dr. Sangeeta Sharma both of whom are renowned literary personalities and academicians.

This book is a compilation of 30 poems on several emotions and what the mother and daughter feel about each emotion. After the felicitation of the honourable guests by Paramita and Sankalpita, they were introduced by Sangeeta Gupta. They both talked about how they conceptualised this book. The young Sankalpita, a law student and a budding poet who had written a novel when she was fourteen years talked about how the book has gapped the distance between her mother and her, since she stays far away from her parents in a hostel. She read out her first poem in the book about how food tastes bland when she is away from her parents. In response to that Paramita, a well- loved poet, a literary curator and scientist, read her poem where she expresses how her kitchen seems to be empty when her daughter is not home.

Then Paramita read her poem on the purest form of love where she describes a little boy, her niece’s son who searches for his aunt Sankalpita whenever he comes home. In response to that Sankalpita read a poem on the same emotion.  

Dr. Sunil Sharma who had mentioned about the book previously on social media had said, “Dialogues --- so crucial! Dialogues of an iconic Mother-Daughter duo, the best literary ones!” highly praised the book and said this relation transcends the personal to the universal. He then did an experiment where he read a poem, “Your room” from the book and requested several others in the audience to read the same poem. The same poem sounded so different when read in different voices.

Dr. Sangeeta Sharma while talking about the book gave examples of such mother-daughter writings from her vast repertoire and praised the book. Sankalpita ended the event with a bouquet of her poems. This young poet was highly praised by Dr. Sunil Sharma who mentioned that her metaphors are unique.

The audience consisted of highly acclaimed poets, people who love poetry and some artists. There was friendly interaction between the audience and the mother-daughter duo.

This book was initially launched at the Kolkata Book Fair on the 20^th of January, 2024. This fair is the second largest in the world after the Frankfurt Book Fair. This launch was hosted by Penprints Publication and was a gala event.

There was a wonderful online discussion by the mother-daughter duo, Paramita and Sankalpita about the book on Women’s Day this year moderated by academician, Sreetanwi Chakraboty.

This eleventh book of Paramita and the very first with her daughter Sankalpita is a joyful celebration of verses from a mother to her daughter and vice versa and a must read for all.

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Setu, April 2024