The Poetry Society (India) was formed in July 1984 at
New Delhi
New Delhi (, , ''Naī Dillī'') is the capital of India and a part of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Parliament House ...
as a voluntary association to promote
Indian poetry and to look after the interests of Indian Poets. The founding members included the Indian poets
Keshav Malik
Keshav Malik (5 November, 1924 – 11 June, 2014) was an Indian poet, art and literary critic, arts scholar, and curator. He remained art critic for the ''Hindustan Times'' (1960–1972) and ''The Times of India'' (1975–2000). He published e ...
,
J P Das, H K Kaul and Lakshmi Kannan. The Society conducts seminars, creative writing workshops, reading and publication of poetry journal and anthologies. It also conducts All India Poetry Competitions, including competitions among school children.
The Journal of the Poetry Society
The Poetry Society also publishes a half yearly ''Poetry Journal''. It was started in 1990 and it publishes the best of Indian poetry written in English, including those translated from Indian languages. The journal also publishes book reviews and literary criticism. The society has been conducting all Indian poetry competition among school children.
All India Poetry Competition
SInce 1988, The Poetry Society (India) has been conducting All India Poetry Competitions in collaboration with the
British Council. The competition is open for all Indian citizen for their original poems written in English or for poems translated into English from any of the recognised Indian languages. Thousands of poets have participated in this tough competitions, in which the number of prizes is very few. The judges, consisting of eminent poets from India and abroad, evaluate the poems without knowing the identity of the poets participating in the competition. The competitions organised by the Poetry Society are among the premier Indian Poetry Awards.
The following poets have won the All India Poetry Competitions organised by the Poetry Society (India):
* 1988 : First Prize -
Vijay Nambisan
Vijay Nambisan was a poet, writer, critic and journalist from India writing in English. He won First Prize in the first ''All India Poetry Competition'' in 1990 organized by The Poetry Society (India) in collaboration with the British Council. He ...
for the poem ''"
Madras Central
Chennai Central (station code: MAS, short for ''Madras''), officially known as Puratchi Thalaivar Dr. M.G. Ramachandran Central Railway Station, is the main railway terminus in the city of Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. It is the busiest railway ...
"''
* 1990 : First Prize -
Rukmini Bhaya Nair
Rukmini Bhaya Nair is a linguist, poet, writer and critic of India. She won the First Prize for her poem ''kali'' in the "All India Poetry Competition" in 1990 organised by The Poetry Society (India) in collaboration with British Council. She i ...
for the poem ''"
Kali
Kali (; sa, काली, ), also referred to as Mahakali, Bhadrakali, and Kalika ( sa, कालिका), is a Hinduism, Hindu goddess who is considered to be the goddess of ultimate power, time, destruction and change in Shaktism. In t ...
"''
* 1991 : First Prize -
Rajlukshmee Debee Bhattacharya Rajlukshmee Debee Bhattacharya is an Indian poet, translator and literary critic writing in Bengali and English. She won First Prize at the ''All India Poetry Competition'' in 1991 organized by The Poetry Society (India) in collaboration with the Br ...
for the poem ''"
Punarnava"''
* 1993 : First Prize -
Shampa Sinha
Shampa Sinha is a doctor and writer with previous careers in diplomacy and public health. She is best known for her poem Siesta, which won the First Prize in the Fifth ''National Poetry Competition'' in 1993 organized by The Poetry Society (India) ...
for the poem ''"
Siesta
A ''siesta'' (from Spanish, pronounced and meaning "nap") is a short nap taken in the early afternoon, often after the midday meal. Such a period of sleep is a common tradition in some countries, particularly those in warm-weather zones. The ...
"'', and Second Prize -
Tarun Cherian for the poem ''"
A Writer's Prayer
"A Writer's Prayer" is an English poem by the Indian poet and renowned spiritual healer Tarun Cherian. Cherian has had written many a poems beforehand with this one being his best work. ''A Writers Prayer'' won Second Prize in the Fifth All India ...
"''
* 1994 : First Prize -
Anju Makhija
Anju Makhija is an Indian poet, playwright, translator and columnist. She has won several national and international awards for her poetry in English.
Biography
Anju Makhija was born in Pune and spent several years in Canada. She has a master's ...
for the poem ''"
A Farmer's Ghost "A Farmer's Ghost" is a popular English poem by the Indian poet and writer Anju Makhija. The poem won First Prize in the Fifth All India Poetry Competition conducted by The Poetry Society (India) in 1994. The poem has been widely cited and anthologi ...
"'', and Second Prize - Smita Agarwal for the poem ''"Our Foster Nurse of Nature is Repose"''
* 1995 : First Prize -
Tabish Khair for the poem ''"
Birds of North Europe
"Birds of North Europe" is a poem by Tabish Khair, the internationally acclaimed Indian English author and journalist. The poem won First Prize in the Sixth All India Poetry Competition conducted by The Poetry Society (India) in 1995. The poem brou ...
"'', and Second Prize -
Gopi Krishnan Kottoor for the poem ''"
The Coffin Maker
"The Coffin Maker" is a poem by the Indian English poet Gopi Krishnan Kottoor. The poem won Second Prize in the Sixth All India Poetry Competition conducted by The Poetry Society (India) in 1995. This was the first major literary award for Kottoor ...
"''
* 1997 : First Prize -
Ranjit Hoskote for the poem ''"
Portrait of a Lady
''The Portrait of a Lady'' is a novel by Henry James, first published as a serial (literature), serial in ''The Atlantic Monthly'' and ''Macmillan's Magazine'' in 1880–81 and then as a book in 1881. It is one of James's most popular novels an ...
"'', and Second Prize -
Gopi Krishnan Kottoor for the poem ''"
Digging
Digging, also referred to as excavation, is the process of using some implement such as claws, hands, manual tools or heavy equipment, to remove material from a solid surface, usually soil, sand or rock on the surface of Earth. Digging is actuall ...
"''
* 1998 : First Prize -
K. Sri Lata for the poem ''"
In Santa Cruz, Diagnosed Home Sick "In Santacruz, Diagnosed Home Sick" is a poem by the Indian English poet and novelist K Srilata. The poem won First Prize in the Eighth All India Poetry Competition conducted by The Poetry Society (India) in 1998. This was the first major literary a ...
"'', and Second Prize - Revathy Gopal for the poem ''"Lines on Meeting a Cousin, Long Lost"''
* 2000 : First Prize -
Shahnaz Habib
Shahnaz Habib is an Indian essayist, fiction writer, travel writer, and translator based in the United States of America. She teaches writing at Bay Path University and The New School, and works as a consultant for the United Nations. In 2018, s ...
for the poem ''"
Of Hypocrisy and Cheekbones "Of Hypocrisy and Cheekbones" is an Indian poem by the Indian English writer and translator Shahnaz Habib. The poem won First Prize in the Ninth All India Poetry Competition conducted by The Poetry Society (India) in 2000.
Excerpts from the poem
...
"'', and Second Prize - Revathy Gopal for the poem ''"
I Would Know You Anywhere "I Would Know You Anywhere" is an Indian poem on the popular Hindu god Ganesha by the Indian English poet Revathy Gopal. The poem won Second Prize in the Ninth All India Poetry Competition conducted by The Poetry Society (India) in 2000. This was th ...
"''
* 2013 : First Prize -
Mathew John
The Poetry Society (India) was formed in July 1984 at New Delhi as a voluntary association to promote Indian poetry and to look after the interests of Indian Poets. The founding members included the Indian poets Keshav Malik, Jagannath Prasad Da ...
for the poem ''"
Another Letter from Another Father to Another Son
The Poetry Society (India) was formed in July 1984 at New Delhi as a voluntary association to promote Indian poetry and to look after the interests of Indian Poets. The founding members included the Indian poets Keshav Malik, J P Das, H K Kaul ...
"'', Second Prize - N Madani Syed for ''"That Yellow Sweater"'',
Tapan Kumar Pradhan
Tapan Kumar Pradhan (born 1972) is an Indian poet, writer and translator from Odisha. He is best known for his poem collection "Kalahandi" which was awarded second place in Sahitya Akademi's Golden Jubilee ''Indian Literature'' Translation Prize ...
for ''"The Buddha Smiled"''.
* 2014 : First Prize - Probal Mazumdar for the poem ''"Grand Mother"'', Second Prize - Vidya S. Panicker for ''"A Suitcase Too Small"'', and Third - N Madani Syed for ''"A Song to Sing"''
* 2015 : (ENGLISH) :- First Prize (English) - Sukanya Shaji for the poem ''"Pilgrimage"'', Second Prize - Debrup Bhattacharya for ''"Star's Demise"'', and Third Prize - K. E. Priyamvada for ''"Fireflies"''; (HINDI) :- First Prize - Parul Gupta for the poem ''"Bhukamp"'', Second Prize - Amit Bisht for ''"Ek Kisaan ka Suicide Note"'', and Third Prize - Rajesh Ahuja for ''"Man-Manthan"''
* 2016 : (ENGLISH) :- First Prize - Yatiraj Ramanujam for the poem ''"A Sudden Voyage"'', Second Prize- Shrestha Ghosh for ''"A Dream"'', and Third Prize - Maitri S Shah for ''"Violence of the Truth"''; (HINDI) :- First Prize - Gaurav J. Pathania for the poem ''"Plastic"'', Second Prize - Neelam Saxena for ''"Khushi"'', and Third Prize - Monika Bhambhu Kalana for ''"Tumhare Laut Aane ki Khushi Mein"''
There were no awards between 2000 and 2013. Till 2000, the awards were sponsored by the
British Council. Since 2013, the awards are being co-sponsored by the
MHRD
The Ministry of Education ( MoE; formerly the Ministry of Human Resource Development from 1985 to 2020) is a ministry of the Government of India, responsible for the implementation of the National Policy on Education. The Ministry is further di ...
Notes
External links
The Poetry Society website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Poetry Society India
Indian poetry
Poetry organizations
Arts organisations based in Delhi
Arts organizations established in 1984
1984 establishments in Delhi
Literary magazines published in India
Poetry literary magazines
Biannual magazines published in India
Book review magazines
English-language magazines published in India
Magazines established in 1990
1990 establishments in Delhi
Indian writers' organisations