The Seduction of Delhi

About the Author Abhay K is a poet and diplomat. His poetry books include, most recently, The Seduction Of Delhi (Bloomsbury India). He is also the editor of CAPITALS (Bloomsbury India), a poetry anthology on the capital cities ofthe world and 100 Great Indian Poems (Bloomsbury India), a poetry anthology covering poems from 28 Indian languages and 3000 years of Indian poetry. His poems have appeared in several literary journalsandmagazines, including: Poetry Salzburg Review, Asia Literary Review, the Caravan, Muse India and Missing Slate. His writings on digital diplomacy, poetry, art and global democracy have appeared in the Times of India, China Daily, Korea Herald, Diplomat (Tokyo), ANN (Singapore), Kathmandu Post, Himalayan Times, Daily Star (Dhaka) and Sunday Times (Colombo). His poems have been translated into Russian, Chinese, Nepali,Hindi, Irish, Portuguese, Slovene, Spanish and Turkish. Abhay K'spoem-song,'Earth Anthem', has been translated into thirty languages. Hereceived SAARC Literary Award 2013. Product Description Delhi has been widely described as a dry, energy draining place, even ahermaphrodite...the authors attempts in the book to prove otherwise. Atfirst glance, his short, epigrammatic poems might appear just flaccidsnapshots or single-boned vignettes of an outsider in a mad andsprawling metropolis known these days for its infamous gang rapes. But a closer look reveals how the poet steps back to withdraw his self into a cocoon, to gain an artistic poise and to empower each and every item,object,relic, monument and figure - a distinct voice and color. LalQuila, Jantar Mantar, a flower girl, an auto rickshaw, Connaught Place, a house maid, Rahim, Jamun tree, Ghalib or Dara Shikoh walk with theirfirst person personas in the lanes of Delhi conjuring a memorablerecital, a jam that defines the essence of this legendarycity...'Seduction of Delhi' is an artistic triumph in many ways. Review "The Seduction of Delhi" is both inspired poetry and visual illustration (by Italian artist Tarshito) in motion, covering and recalling nearly a thousand years of memory, achievement, success and loss, daily grindand drudgery, a contradictory city of ruins and sprawling high rises."- Financial Express"Abhay K's poems serve up a Delhi, resplendent with character, tornasunder by marauders, patch-worked back several times with belief andfaith - and above all saturated through with the touch of time andhistory."- The Times of India"Abhay K.'s words don't sit outside and observe. They dig in, making theirsubject their home, and then they turn outwards, watching the landscape, the people, the city, change. The city makes him feel, and thesefeelings seep into his words."- The Hindu Literary Review From the Back Cover "A remarkable, exciting book."- Jayanta Mahapatra"In Abhay K.'s poems, the transformations are gentle and humane; the history is deep and lightly worn. This is a great way to be introduced to a great city."- George Szirtes"Delhi needs its own balladeers. In Abhay K., it has found one."- Pavan K. Varma"Poetry is the genre of Delhi, and these poems offer heartfelt homage to both, the tradition and place."- Tabish Khair"...Abhay K.'s poems meditate on what it means for landscape and memory to constantly reshape history and our experience of it."- Dorianne Laux