London:

Nehru centre, London organised a poetry reading centred on ‘Annapurnas’ by poet and translator Yuyutsu RD Sharma who’s currently in Europe on a Rockefeller Fellowship.

In the program chaired by British poet George Szirtes, winner of 2004 TS Eliot Prize, Yuyutsu conjured ‘the magnificent daggers of the Annapurna peaks and the lives of the colourful people living in its landscape.’

“Yuyutu’s poetry brings forth his south Asian world in powerful images,” said Pavan K Verma, Director, Nehru Centre in his inaugural speech. Being a translator himself, poet George Szirtes saw a special affinity with Yuyutsu’s creative career. “He’s a gifted poet from a special part of the world; he discerned, and brings forth the magic and magnificence of the continent in a unique and effortless mode.”

Yuyutsu called Nepal a land of extremes, of extreme natural charm and abysmal poverty. “The age-old traditional life patterns of Nepalese society,” he opined, “seem under the assault of senseless modernisation and globalisation. Nepal is passing through a critical phase at the moment and I am sure with its diverse landscape, culture and natural resources will soon emerge as powerful nation of the South Asian continent.”

He informed about his forthcoming picture book, ‘Around Annapurna’ that he has co-authored with German photographer and geologist Andreas Stimm published by Epsilonmedia, Germany.