Vatayan: Poetry on South Bank has organised a special event on July 30 at House of Lords. The event is dedicated to the late Dr Satyendra Srivastava, Hindi scholar, poet and playwright, who taught for 44 years at Cambridge University.
- Late Dr Satyendra Srivastava
On this occasion, Dr Rama Pandey’s first poetry collection, Guhaar (Beseech), will also be launched by the Baroness Flather of Windsor and Maidenhead. The chief guest will be Mrs Munni Srivastava, artist and publisher.
The participants will include Uttara Sukanya Joshi (an upcoming singer), Dr Padmesh Gupta, President, UK Hindi Samiti & Editor of ‘Purvai’, Chaand Chazelle, filmmaker, author and interpreter, Kailash Budhwar, author, formerly of BBC World Service and Bhartendu Vimal, ex BBC Broadcaster, novelist and poet, who will also anchor the programme.
- Guhaar by Dr Rama Pandey
Vatayan’s events are held in collaboration with the UK Hindi Samiti and our media partners are Pravasi Duniya and MA TV.
Inaugurated on November 28, 2003 (William Blake’s Birthday) in the foyer of the Royal Festival Hall, London, amongst the UK based Indian poets, writers and media personnel, Vatayan’s Managing Board and Advisory Panel includes some of the internationally renowned authors.
The objectives of Vatayan are to provide a venue and service to those in the community; who write in languages other than English to bring them in touch with the international writers/poets and vice versa; get their works translated into English and vice versa; get these translations published; if possible, get their poems/songs composed and recorded by the young and upcoming artists; hold monthly or bi-monthly meetings for the benefit of writers to share their inter-generational works with the established writers; hold an annual award ceremony to honour one international and one local poet; to encourage goodwill and involvement of the wider community; to organise activities of a social, artistic and cultural nature to bring writers and audience together.