Himalayan News Service

Kathmandu, February 15

The British Council and Spiny Babbler organised a function today to launch ‘Modern Poets of Europe: A Selection’. The collection of poetry was launched by Rudiger Wenk, charge d’affaires of the Delegation of the European Commission in Nepal. National poet Madhav Prasad Ghimire and vice-chancellor of the Royal Nepal Academy Mohan Koirala were also present.

Wenk expressed his gratitude to the council and Spiny Babbler for the collection of poems, which would promote European poets. The anthology is edited by British poets Patricia and William Oxley. “Spiny Babbler with William and Patricia Oxley have been working on this collection for three years,” shared Pallav Ranjan of Spiny Babbler. Modern Nepali poems were read and students of Nirmal School presented a play ‘The Trap’.

The book presents contemporary literature of Europe including 10 Nobel prize winners. Relying mostly on translation, it

offers works of poets from 24 different countries who have experienced revolutions and persecution first hand.