2nd Anniversary!

Rhythm Divine Poets, Kolkata-based poetry group established in March 2015, with poets joining in from all over the world, is dedicated to the promotion of poetry. The group provides platforms like events, WAP group, FB group and page, blog, magazines and anthologies to help develop poets’ skills. The group has over the two-year period of time been organizing poetry events, hosting poets, networking with outstation poets, conducting poetry competitions, and guiding poets through workshops.

The group has had the privilege of having poets from India and abroad like Neal Hall, Nabina Das, Ramakanta Das, Lopa Banerjee, Rochelle Potkar, Manav Kaushik, Geethanjali Dilip, Daipayan Nair, Akash Sagar Chauhan, and others associating with them. The group has had city-based poets and academics like Prof. Jharna Sanyal, Prof. Sharmila Ray, Prof. Sanjukta Dasgupta, Prof. Krishna Sen and others participating in their events. Other academicians like Prof. Ananda Lal, Prof. Chinmoy Guha from the city and Prof. Saikat Majumdar, Prof. Ampat Koshy from outside have encouraged us. The group has been patronized by the likes of Mr. Craig Hall, Ms. Meeryung Hall, Dr. Sushanta Banerjee, Ms. Somali Panda, Ms. Richa Wahi, Ms. Anjana Basu, Mr. Kushal Poddar, Ms. Pragya Goel Gupta, Mr. Biswanath Dasgupta, Ms. Rhiti Chatterjee Bose, Ms. Rachana Mitra Mustafy, Mr. Dipankar Mukherjee, Mr. Kounteya Sinha, Dr. Nabanita Sengupta, Mr. Goutam Ghosh, and RJ Arvind amongst others.

Last year the group organized two grand events – an event celebrating the Beat generation poets at the American Center in September and the launch of the poetry anthology Virtual Reality at the Indian Museum in December. It also organized Metamorphosis, the poetry slam. The group was invited to participate in events organized by Rotaract Club of Central Calcutta, Chitrabani, Fete de la Musique, AIESEC, American Library, Art Fair, Alter-Nation, Cult of Beauty and poets have performed at Wabi Sabi Café, Soul Café, Jam House, 8^th Day Café, Cocoa Bakery Café, Chalkboard Kitchen and Café, Maka Maka Café, Katerpillar Reloaded Café, Infi Gaming Café, Harrington Street Art Center, Art Rickshaw, Chemould Gallery, Doodle Room, Lincoln Room, INOX-City Center, Yamaha Music Square, Calcutta Tramways special tram and tram museum, and the Media Center, USA pavilion and Russian pavilion at the Kolkata Book Fair.

The group in the last two years has been successfully organizing two international poetry events: 

100 Thousand Poets for Change in September (initiated by Michael Rothenberg from USA and archived by Stanford University) - http://www.100tpcmedia.org/100TPC2012/2015/08/amir-shankar-saha-kolkata-india-2015/ and http://www.100tpcmedia.org/100TPC2012/2016/09/amit-shankar-saha-rhythm-divine-poets-kolkata-india-2016/

Woman Scream International Poetry and Arts Festival (initiated by Jael Uribe from Dominican Republic) - http://womanscream.blogspot.in/2016/04/woman-scream-2016-kolkata-india.html. 

Rhythm Divine Poets has successfully published the first volume of Rhythm Divine Poets Anthology which was launched at the Kolkata International Book Fair 2017. 

The group strictly follows zero-tolerance policy towards plagiarism has been pioneering in wiping out the unethical practice through a systematic process of detection, show cause and decisive penal action. The group targets the act and does not persecute the individual. Steps are also taken to educate young poets about the difference between intertextuality, parody, pastiche and outright plagiarism.

The group believes in the policy of collective development by encouraging other poetry groups too and associating with them. The poets of the group, who are from all over the world, are not bound by constricting regulations and are free to participate in any other poetry group’s events. Rhythm Divine Poets group follows liberal policy and believes that poets are free individuals and cannot be governed by any corporate-like strictures.

In matters of ethics Rhythm Divine Poets have stood up time and again and shown exemplary character in resolving issues in the interest of poetry. 

Regards,

Anindita Bose, Sufia Khatoon and Dr. Amit Shankar Saha 

(Co-founders, Rhythm Divine Poets)