Skip to content 
Search

Latest Stories

My top 10 Indian English Poets to look out for by Dr Farah Siddiqui Matin

“BE IT debates, cultural collabora­tions or impressive work, Indian English poets have played a mo­mentous role in recent years.

“With a slender, yet distinct space, these poets have been at the forefront of literary activities in India and abroad. Here are 10 admirable Indi­an English poets who never fail to surprise us with their poetic pursuits,” said Dr Farah Siddiqui Matin.


Tishani Doshi: Welsh-Indian writer Tishani Doshi won the 2006 Forward Prize for Best First Collection. A poet and dancer, Tishani’s carefully-craft­ed poems analyse human emotions through love and loss. Meticulous deliberations over death and disaster provoke readers to delve deep into her work. She has travelled widely, presenting her thought-provoking works to the world. Her latest collec­tion Girls Are Coming Out of the Woods was released in 2017, and 2018 surely looks decked out for her innovative ventures.

K Satchidanandan: Primarily known as a Malayalam poet, K Satchidanan­dan has often surprised us with his English poems. With a writing career of about 50 years, he has penned over 20 collections of poetry and bagged multiple National Awards, honours from the government of Po­land, a Knighthood of the Order of Merit and Dante Medal from Italy. Satchidanandan upholds the right to dissent through poetry and literature.

Keki Daruwalla: A recipient of the Sahitya Aka­demi Award in 1984 and the Commonwealth Poetry Prize in 1987, the poet refuses to stop even after a writing career of over four decades. Deep in sensitivity and profound in tone, Keki Daruwalla’s poems have often encompassed the changing contours of Indian English poetry. No matter in what direction the style of poetry-writing moves, Keki is al­ways a name to look out for.

Manohar Shetty: The Goa-based po­et has the capability to rip you apart through his verses. A tour through the poet’s works is like knowing a person’s personal life, and at the same time the life of many others’ across the globe. The widely antholo­gised poet and fellow of the Sahitya Akademi poet is at once local and in­ternational. Moving out of the radical modernism, Manohar Shetty’s Full Disclosure, released in 2017, shows us the contours of contemporary In­dian English poetry.

Sonnet Mondal: Kolkata-based, poet and cura­tor Sonnet Mondal’s lyri­cism can take you deep inside human emotions. Author of Ink and Line, Sonnet can nurture the rapture in dead leaves and abandoned houses. Widely anthologised across every continent, he has pre­sented his fine works at some of the most coveted international festivals. A poet who creates an aperture to show ‘everything is not everything’, Sonnet has been responsible for many literary collaborations across the globe.

Arundhathi Subramaniam: Mystic and profound, the innovative poet’s fresh turns of phrase is a feast for language lovers. She is an explorer, relating uncertainties of life to hu­man attachments. Her book When God Is A Traveller was the Season Choice of the Poetry Book Society in the UK and shortlisted for the TS Eli­ot Prize. Arundhathi won the first Khushwant Singh Memorial Prize in 2015 and has presented her poems in several high-profile events, including the Jaipur literature Festival.

Sridala Swami: An alumnus of writ­ing programs at The University of Stirling, Scotland and University of Iowa, Sridala Swami’s first collection of poems, A Reluctant Survivor, was published by The Sahitya Akademi in 2007. Her poems come as confessions and chisels out human pretensions. Rich in imagery, the poet has an aesthetic of her own that seems close to crude realities of life. She was a part of the Poets Translating Poets project in Germany and her collec­tion of poems Escape Artist was pub­lished in 2014. Sridala is definitely a poet on a mission.

K Srilata: Well known as a curator, she co-edited The Rapids of a Great River: The Penguin Book of Tamil Poetry. Known for her poignant verses, Srilata’s po­ems invoke various topics from per­sonal to harsh incidents. Srilata’s work has been widely anthologised - The Bloodaxe Anthology of Indian Poets, Fulcrum and Penguin India’s First Proofs to name a few. Tender yet poised, this poet surely has something in store for the coming years.

Anand Thakore: Widely anthologised in books like Sixty Indian Poets and Reasons For Belonging, Anand Thakore depicts his life and sur­roundings in re­alistic poems often with transparent imagery and lucid tones. The poet has three collections to his credit, the latest Seven Deaths and Four Scrolls. Bringing fresh tones and themes in each of his books, this poet may un­furl surprises in coming times.

Sharanya Manivannan: Sensuous and spiritual, Sharanya was the recipient of the Lavanya Sankaran Fel­lowship for 2008-2009. The poet plays with words and phrases dipping them with surprise and unworldliness. Her latest collec­tion of poems The Altar of the Only World brilliantly portrays the poet’s prowess with lyricism. Widely pub­lished all over the world, this young poetess never fails her readers as far as wonders in expression and thoughts are concerned.

  • Dr Farah Siddiqui Matin (Phd) lives two lives between Ireland and India, and is the author of three col­lections of poetry.

More For You

Sidhu Moosewala

Sidhu Moosewala’s legacy continues with his first ever digital concert tour

Instagram/sidhu_moosewala

Sidhu Moosewala world tour to feature digital stage comeback three years after his death

Highlights:

  • Sidhu Moosewala’s official Instagram page announced a 2026 world tour titled Signed to God.
  • The Punjabi singer-rapper was killed in 2022 in Punjab at age 28.
  • The tour will use digital tech, possibly holograms, to bring Moosewala ‘back’ on stage.
  • No official dates or venues announced yet; fan reaction online has been a mix of awe and confusion.

On Tuesday, the late Punjabi singer-rapper’s official Instagram handle dropped a teaser for a 2026 world tour called Signed to God. The announcement stunned fans and sparked immediate speculation over how a concert by a deceased artist is even possible. While the organisers have kept technical details under wraps, reports suggest cutting-edge tech like 3D holograms or augmented reality will be used to recreate Moosewala’s presence on stage.

 sidhu moosewala  Sidhu Moosewala, Indian Singer (Photo: @sidhu_moosewala)  www.easterneye.biz  

Keep ReadingShow less
Mark Gatiss’s 'Bookish'

Bookish brings postwar London to life with gripping weekly mysteries

Instagram/uandalibi

Mark Gatiss’s 'Bookish' is being hailed as the ''next best thing to Sherlock'' — Here’s why viewers are hooked

Highlights:

  • Mark Gatiss stars as Gabriel Book, a crime-solving bookshop owner in post-war London in Bookish.
  • The detective drama premiered on U&Alibi on 16 July 2025, with two episodes airing weekly.
  • Critics praise the series for its smart plotting, rich period detail, and modern queer representation.
  • A second season has already been confirmed, with filming set to begin this summer.

Mark Gatiss, best known for co-creating Sherlock, is back with another brainy sleuth, and this time, it’s personal. Bookish, a 1940s-set detective drama written by and starring Gatiss, follows the eccentric Gabriel Book, a former intelligence agent turned antiquarian bookseller who helps the police crack cases in bombed-out postwar London. The six-part series, which debuted this week on U&Alibi, has already garnered praise for its clever plots, layered characters, and strong sense of time and place, with some calling it “the next best thing to Sherlock.”

 Mark Gatiss\u2019s 'Bookish' Mark Gatiss brings queer detective drama Bookish to life as fans call it the new SherlockInstagram/uandalibi

Keep ReadingShow less
Kareena Kapoor

Kareena continues to break stereotypes with bold film choices at age 44

Will Kareena Kapoor rewrite Bollywood norms by romancing a 20-year-younger actor?

Highlights:

  • Kareena Kapoor Khan to star as a ghost in an upcoming genre-bending film
  • The 44-year-old actress will reportedly be paired with an actor in his early 20s
  • Script is penned by Hussain Dalal, known for Brahmāstra
  • The film explores a quirky new take on the ghost genre and is currently unannounced

Kareena Kapoor Khan is reportedly all set to headline a new supernatural film, but with an unconventional twist. The Bollywood star, who turned 44 this year, will be seen playing a ghost in the upcoming project, which is also said to feature a much younger male lead, an actor in his early 20s. If confirmed, this pairing will mark a rare age-reversal in Bollywood casting, where older male actors have long romanced much younger actresses on screen.

According to reports, the film is described as a genre-defying and humorous take on ghost stories. The story is said to be written by Hussain Dalal, known for co-writing Brahmāstra and frequently collaborating with director Ayan Mukerji. While Kareena’s role as a female ghost is being celebrated as bold and experimental, her reported romantic pairing with a 20-something actor is what has caught everyone’s attention.

Keep ReadingShow less
Aashir Wajahat

The young artist behind the runaway hit Sadqay

Instagram/ aashirwajahat

Aashir Wajahat reflects on viral hit ‘Sadqay’, new music and acting ambitions

Highlights

  • Singer-actor behind viral hit Sadqay reflects on his breakout year
  • New track Dheema Dheema hits 170K views in just two weeks
  • Opens up about juggling acting and songwriting, and his 2025 plans
  • Stresses importance of enjoying the process and learning from early mistakes
  • Draws inspiration from iconic Pakistani music and Punjabi roots

From viral sensation to balancing dual careers

The young artist behind the runaway hit Sadqay, which has now clocked over 44 million views, says the song’s success took him completely by surprise. “We had no idea it would go global,” he shared in a candid conversation, adding that while he always believed in the track, the scale of its reception was “overwhelming”.

What followed was a year of fast-moving highs, with growing recognition both within his home country and internationally. “You work towards something, and when it happens, you almost don’t know how to react.”

Keep ReadingShow less
Tomorrowland stage destroyed in massive fire

Emergency services respond quickly to contain the blaze at the Boom festival site

X Screengrab/Complex Music

Tomorrowland stage destroyed in massive fire as crew witness years of work lost in minutes

Highlights:

• A massive fire destroyed the Tomorrowland main stage in Boom, Belgium, just two days before the festival’s opening.
• No injuries were reported; around 1,000 workers were evacuated safely from the site.
• Organisers confirmed that the festival and DreamVille campsite will proceed as planned.
• The cause of the fire is still under investigation, but initial reports suggest it may have been accidental.

Tomorrowland opens gates despite stage fire as organisers stay committed to festival

Keep ReadingShow less