As I look back on my journey - a life braided with poetry, art and the unshakable love of words - I realize that creativity has never existed in a vacuum for me. It has thrived in the spaces between my roles, in the quiet moments between responsibilities, in the flicker of inspiration that refuses to be ignored.
Poetry, for me, has never been just an art form. It is a way of being, a way of making sense of the world, of love and loss, of joy and struggle. And I want every woman who has ever held a fragment of a poem inside her to know that your voice matters.
When I compiled my poetry collection, ‘Two Cents for My Thoughts,’ it was not merely an act of publication but one of revelation. The poems, which are reflections on love, loss, nature and empowerment, were my attempt at dialogue, an offering to the reader, inviting them to share their own two cents in return. Recognition from the Sahitya Akademi and the Rama Chowdhury Memorial Award was an affirmation that the words I had poured onto paper had resonated beyond my own experience. Yet, the true reward has been the conversations my poetry has sparked, between writer and reader, between art and soul.
That fusion of art and language is something I have explored not just in my own work but in my academic pursuits as well. Studying German literature opened an entirely new dimension of storytelling to me. Immersing myself in the works of Goethe, Kafka, Brecht and Grass, I discovered the vast possibilities of literature, the way it can embrace allegory, realism and satire all at once. As a DAAD scholar, I was fortunate to engage with diverse perspectives, to challenge and refine my own understanding of literature’s role in shaping thought and culture.
But my passion for language is not confined to the written word alone. Language is, at its core, a force that both unites and distinguishes cultures. Teaching German as a foreign language has provided an opportunity to bridge worlds through words.
Balancing my roles as a writer, artist, educator, and mother has been its own kind of artistry. I have learned to prioritize, to embrace the reality that I cannot do everything at once, and to find joy in each role I play. The secret, I believe, lies not in perfect equilibrium but in passion. When you love what you do, when creativity fuels your every step, you find the energy to keep weaving, keep writing, keep painting.
Too often, as women, we hesitate, we wonder if our words are important enough, if they carry weight, if they will be heard. I have learned that poetry does not ask for permission but demands honesty.
This belief led me to create the Minati Banerjee Memorial Award and the Madhumita Sarkhel Award, named after two extraordinary women - my grandmother and mother - who shaped me as a writer and as a person. They were the ones who first introduced me to the magic of words, from Enid Blyton’s tales to Tagore’s poetry and instilled in me a love for storytelling that has never waned. The awards are my way of championing women writers who dare to share their voices, challenge conventions, and who, in turn, inspire future generations.
To any woman out there, hesitant but yearning to write poetry: begin. Let your words take shape, imperfect and raw. Let them grow. Your voice is needed. The world is waiting!
(The author is a poet and educator whose work has appeared in national and international publications; her debut poetry collection, ‘Two Cents For My Thoughts,’ was launched at the Sahitya Akademi in New Delhi.)
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