When I first met Kiriti Sengupta in 2015, I was unaware of his literary efforts. He contacted me on social media as a publisher in the United States, after which I had the honor of naming a few of his books while he inspired two of my most notable poetry collections, including Salt and Sorrow. Our friendship led me to learn more about the history, culture, and literary traditions of India, a country for which I have a special fondness.
Sengupta’s literary corpus include writing, editing, translating, and publishing writers across the globe to bridge the communities. He was awarded the 2018 Rabindranath Tagore Literary Prize and the inaugural Nilim Kumar National Honour (2024). I have since read all of his books and published him twice with Reflections on Salvation (2016) and Oneness (2024) under the imprint Transcendent Zero Press. He is a paradoxical man of letters, and his efforts sustain a bridge between the United States and India through literature. His poetry is fresh and cryptic, sometimes leaving the reader frustrated for meaning, but it is also ripe with cultural references and idioms that astound me. Finding his work intriguing, I sat down for a thoughtful conversation to better understand this literary figure.
Dustin Pickering (DP): Kiriti, you have authored numerous poetry collections and are established as a translator. Your translation of Bibhas Roy Chowdhury’s Poem Continuous has received exceptional praise worldwide. You are also a publisher with Hawakal in India (New Delhi and Kolkata). Surely, these roles must clash at times! I am curious about why you believed you should translate Chowdhury in particular.
Kiriti Sengupta (KS): My roles clash all the time, Dustin. And they create a clamor when they jostle with each other. (Laugh) So, when I write, I indite my own thoughts. When I translate, I slip into another’s shoes. When I work as a publisher, I think of the readers who would buy the product and whether it would be worth their funds. Money is precious. All these roles influence my psyche in multiple ways, and the Kiriti Sengupta you are talking with will invariably lead to all these attributes rolled into one. So, when someone calls me multi-faceted, I flash a broad smile, thinking I have no choice but to surrender helplessly to my creative instincts to sport several hats.
Now, coming to your main question, Bibhas Roy Chowdhury’s Poem Continuous didn’t happen in a jiffy. As you know, Hawakal released the tenth-anniversary edition of Poem Continuous only a few months ago. In 2013, while I was randomly translating a few contemporary Bengali poets, Roy Chowdhury approached me to translate his work from the original Bengali for a full-length book. Coming from a dentistry background, I hardly knew Roy Chowdhury or his poetry, but he seemed convinced about my ability from reading a few translations I did for other poets. One day, I met him in person, upon which he offered me a dozen of his poetry collections and helped me pick up a bunch of poems he thought appropriate for the proposed book. We had endless conversations spanning nine months before I was ready with a manuscript of thirty translated poems.
The first edition of Poem Continuous was released in July 2014 by Inner Child Press, Limited (New Jersey). The initial response was encouraging and inspired me to translate twenty more poems. This time, it took me almost ten months to present an expanded draft of the first edition. The second edition of Poem Continuous was formally launched in Kolkata in September 2015 by Bratya Basu, former Tourism Minister of West Bengal, in the presence of veteran Bengali poets Subodh Sarkar and Rahul Purkayastha. All these years, the book has fetched rave reviews in India and overseas, and only in early 2024 did Bitan Chakraborty (founder of Hawakal) decide to celebrate the journey and present the tenth-anniversary edition of Poem Continuous. I translated another ten newer poems for the revised edition. So, from the initial thirty-poem book to the latest sixty-poem collection, the book doubled in volume in ten years or more, and I thoroughly enjoyed every bit of this tour.
DP: What are some fundamental differences in the linguistic structures between Bengali and English? How did you approach the cultural differences between the Bengali audience and the English readership as you worked on the translation?
KS: Every language comes with its nuances. An efficient translator should have an excellent understanding of the source and target languages, as what sounds apt in Bengali may read as rough or awkward in English. You have asked about the difference(s) in the linguistic structures, so let me give you an example. We have a common Bengali proverb, shaak diye maach dhaka, which literally translates to hiding the fish behind leafy vegetables. A competent translator will tweak it to say: making up a story to hide the truth.
Roy Chowdhury’s poems are culturally rich, and they embrace Bengali emotions. I initially found them challenging to translate for an English-speaking audience, but then stopped making considerable changes to them for the simple reason that readers or scholars who read poetry in translation don’t do so for the heck of it; they want to learn and become acquainted with the cultural aspects of the original poet and the language. Reading poetry and perusing translated poetry are different ballgames altogether.
DP: Why is it important today to be read in English? I recall an interview with Damion Searls, translator of Jon Fosse, the 2023 Nobel laureate, who says that such prizes cannot be rewarded without an English readership. His statement in Asymptote Journal was, “English really is the gateway to bigger success for every other language; it’s not going to be a worldwide, translated-everywhere success unless it goes through English first.”
KS: That’s what it is—but I don’t know why. Perhaps the accessibility of English as a language makes it more widespread. English is the most spoken language in the world, while Chinese (Mandarin) is second. Bengali is the seventh most spoken language. Although Hindi is counted as the third most spoken language in the world, Hindi poems are often translated into English to reach a global readership.
DP: Odd! In fact, Searls also said that Fosse is immensely popular worldwide but had not been read in the United States. What troubles might you find in seeking an audience in the United States for your works? Why is international collaboration between authors vital to you?
KS: Poetry enjoys a niche market worldwide, and there is no logic in thinking that poets who write in English will achieve prompt readership across the globe. Reaching out to a bigger audience primarily requires connections. Do you think US poets and readers would readily accommodate an Indian poet just because s/he writes in English? Will the Indian audience quickly acknowledge a poet based in the United States? Or, for that matter, will the world be ready to study a Bengali poet because his poems are available in English? See, being read and reviewed outside one’s native land is a challenging endeavor. International collaboration makes it easier for authors. Imagine how you obtained blurbs for my chapbook Oneness. If you had not published and promoted Oneness, do you think my work would have reached where it stands now? Is the quality of the work the only deciding factor? I’m sure you have the answers.
DP: In your 2016 release, Reflections on Salvation, you seem agnostic toward the Vedas and their practitioners. Yet you clearly express that you respect the holy texts. Can you clarify how doubt plays a role in your creative process?
KS: You are right; I greatly respect the holy texts, be it the Vedas or the Srimad Bhagavad Geeta. However, they confuse us if not properly understood. For example, the Geeta (chapter 2, verse 47) says, Karmanye Vadhikaraste Ma Phaleshu Kadachana, which literally translates to: “You have the right to perform your actions, but you are not entitled to the fruits of the actions.” It is as if you should keep submitting your poems to several journals while never expecting an acceptance for publication. If you don’t want to get published, why on earth would you even try to submit your work to a journal in the first place? It is absolutely justified to expect results from all worldly actions. So, although the verse perplexes readers, they should find its real meaning veiled underneath the surface. All holy texts are multi-layered, and the beauty lies in unfurling the truths from rigorous studies and practice.
The same verse gave rise to “Detachment” (page 14) I wrote for Reflections on Salvation. Let me cite it here:
Marriages are made in heaven. But then, they too are expectant! Why can’t a couple dream of being parents to their child if they are capable of giving birth to a new life?
On a serious note, I’m planning to donate a few copies of the Geeta to infertility clinics. I would love to hear them advising: “Act, but forget!” The Geeta says, “karmaṇy-evādhikāras te mā phaleṣhu kadāchana / mā karma-phala-hetur bhūr mā te saṅgo ‘stvakarmaṇi” (You have a right to perform your duties, but you are not entitled to the fruits of your actions. Never consider yourself to be the cause of the results of your activities, nor be attached to inaction.).
But did I consider how a childless couple would react to it? Situations change, but scriptures remain the same. Mundane!
DP: Educationist Dr. Mary Madec of Ireland termed Reflections on Salvation “flash wisdom,” a new subgenre! You are a capable craftsman of poetry. How do you shift stylistics over time so fluidly? You have written prose poems, haiku, and other short forms, as well as novels infused with poetry.
KS: Thank you for believing in my work over the years. I remember Dr. Madec’s words, and I’m deeply grateful to her. The book contained eighteen prose poems and was later translated into Bengali by Bitan Chakraborty titled Sharanarthi. Interestingly, Dr Kaushik Acharya translated the book into Sanskrit titled Mumuksha.
As you know, not many books enjoy a Sanskrit version. All three books were formally launched at the Oxford Bookstore, Connaught Place, in 2017. The Statesman (New Delhi edition) remarked, “Reflections on Salvation is a collection of anecdotal wisdom that serves to both illuminate and discuss the paradox of faith.”
As far as style is concerned, I am fond of short, free verses, which are most challenging to write despite their lower word count. I have written only a handful of haiku and senryu. I’ve tried my hand at monostich as well. Prose poems are satisfying and alert me to the fine thread between prose and poetry, and the intrinsic rhythm of a prose poem makes it even more worthy than a free verse. As you mentioned, I have the poetic trilogy Dreams of the Sacred and Ephemeral, which contains my three books—My Glass of Wine, The Reverse Tree, and Healing Waters Floating Lamps. It’s believed to be the first poetic trilogy in India.
DP: What prompted the beginning of the collection Oneness? This collection is perplexingly spiritual, a seeming shift from the “cryptic idioms” of the past, yet the idiomatic still haunts the poems. How do you view the changes in your body of work from one book to the next?
KS: In early 2024, I entered the inaugural Crimson Spine Pocket Book Competition, organized by the United Kingdom-based Hedgehog Poetry Press, with my work Oneness. It was among the ten shortlisted entries chosen from the thirty longlisted manuscripts. Later, I invited Pintu Biswas, a talented artist from Kolkata, to collaborate with his paintings. The rest, as you know, is available for the readers to explore. I’m thrilled how Oneness took its final shape since I conceived it purely for the contest.
Over the past few years, scholars and critics have described my poems as cryptic. With Oneness, I deliberately aimed to break free from being overly symbolic. Looking back, perhaps I sought to reach out to readers who wished to interpret my poems quickly. Poets do not write for themselves but for their readers. Ultimately, poetry, like other genres of literature, is all about communication. However, this does not mean you won’t find another cryptic verse in my forthcoming draft. (Laugh)
I agree with you that there are changes in the body of my work. There has certainly been a noticeable evolution. Scholars are better suited to examine these transformations, however. Some observe that my language and craft have become significantly more refined, arguing that my recent works display sophistication. Conversely, others suggest that my earlier poems felt more spontaneous and grounded. Embracing evolution is crucial; without it, my growth as a writer would stagnate.
DP: Do poets have moral obligations to act as historians of some kind? Telling stories is part of the human framework, and differing historical views are presented in separate texts. Are your poems personal, deliberately addressing the reader’s imagination? Do you anticipate your published works to be of lasting merit for future readers and scholars?
KS: Why would anyone expect poets to be morally upright and vocal? How many times does someone ask an actor the same question—or a movie director, for that matter? There should not be a compulsion of any kind. I agree that society adds to my essence, but has it made me a poet? So, representing time is not my prerogative. However, there are compelling times when one feels helpless about the events happening around us. There are times when our democracy and national security are at stake. There are times when you lose your freedom of expression, and there are times as well when the so-called educated people blur the demarcation between opining and bullying. At these times, writers must come forward.
I believe you are aware of the brutal killing of a post-graduate student at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata, on August 9, 2024. The girl was raped and murdered. People from different strata of society protested and are still agitating. They questioned the government; they raised their voice against the prevailing corruption and worthless policies and are now doubting what the CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) are doing with the case. Yet, justice seems far-fetched.
If you remember, I wrote “Demonstration,” a poem that was published on The Chakkar. The last two stanzas run as:
Death pauses verdict;
the authority mars evidence.
The doomed is put
on pyre; rallies slit
through the silence.Monarch keeps a vigil,
foreseeing a mass mutiny.
Iniquity is ignored
as the records stand revised
for scrutiny.
By writing “Demonstration,” I have not become a historian. I wrote it out of tremendous anger towards authority. Nonetheless, I’ll refer to it as a personal poem. Do you know why? Every poem is personal to its creator; it stems from genuine emotion. The intellect puts them together for the audience. Isn’t that easy? (Laugh)
DP: Tell us about your upcoming projects.
KS: I plan to hold a few exhibitions of my poems along with the paintings I used for my books. I am also in conversation with some artists who might develop textile installations inspired by my poems. You know, I am a huge admirer of Indian textiles.
Kiriti Sengupta, recipient of the 2018 Rabindranath Tagore Literary Prize and the 2024 Nilim Kumar National Honour, has poems published in The Common, The Florida Review Online, Headway Quarterly, The Lake, Amethyst Review, Dreich, Otoliths, The Chakkar, Outlook, Madras Courier, and elsewhere. He has authored fourteen books of poetry and prose; two books of translation; and edited eight anthologies. Sengupta is the chief editor of Ethos Literary Journal, and he looks after the English language division of Hawakal Publishers Private Limited, one of the leading independent presses in India founded by Bitan Chakraborty. He lives in New Delhi.
Dustin Pickering is founder of Transcendent Zero Press. He has contributed writing to Huffington Post, Los Angeles Review, The Statesman (India), Journal of Liberty, International Affairs, The Colorado Review, World Literature Today, and several other publications. He is author of numerous poetry collections and books, including Salt and Sorrow. He placed in the top 100 for the erbacce prize in 2021 and 2023, and was a finalist in Adelaide Literary Journal’s first short fiction contest. He was longlisted for the Rahim Karim World Prize in 2022 and given the honor of Knight of World Peace by the World Institute for Peace that same year. He hosts the popular interview series World Inkers Network on YouTube, and co-founded World Inkers Printing and Publishing.
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