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Ten poets on a pan India literary tour

Ten poets from India and Wales are taking part in an exchange organized by Literature Across Frontiers in India as part of the UK India Year of Culture.
The collaborative project has brought them together to explore each other's home location and create new work in six languages during a series of residencies in both countries. Alternating between the hustle and bustle of Indian metropolises and the peace and quiet of Welsh towns, the project literally spans across the two countries from Thiruvananthapuram in South Kerala to Shillong in the North-East, and from Bangor in North Wales to Swansea on the south coast.
In January and February 2018, the poets will tour literary festivals across India, with performances, debates and workshops at Bhubaneswar Literary Meet, the Brahmaputra Literary Festival in Guwahati, The Hindu Lit for Life Festival in Chennai, Hyderabad Literary Festival, Jaipur Literary Festival, Jaipur Book Mark, Kolkata Literary Meet, and at higher education institutions in Delhi.
Poetry Connections celebrates the thriving literary relations between India and Wales as developed through Literature Across Frontiers' work since 2009, harnessing its legacy, and establishing a deeper collaborative relationship between the five pairs of poets.
The poets address the theme of "independence" in a series of creative encounters that will have a ripple effect on the immediate environment in which the participating poets live and work.
At a time of global change which sees increasing friction between identities, the project aims to open up a unique dialogue and formulate new narratives and ideas which both uncover and move beyond difficult histories.
Alexandra Buchler, Director of Literature Across Frontiers, said: "We are thrilled to bring together ten talented poets from India and Wales to visit each other's home locations and collaborate on producing new work reflecting their perspectives on historical and contemporary relations between the two countries. The project is a culmination of almost a decade of exchanges with India's rich and varied literary scene, and will no doubt lead to further cooperation in the future, apart from leaving a legacy of publications, documented performances, and most importantly, ever stronger creative links."
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