ALSphere Foundation
Literature adds to reality, it does not simply describe it. It enriches the necessary competencies that daily life requires and provides; and in this respect, it irrigates the deserts that our lives have already become.” C. S. Lewis
It’s with this thought that the Asia Literary Society (ALS) founded by Manoj Krishnan, has been working tirelessly in the promotion of Asian literature, various art forms, and indigenous languages. The first meeting of the ALS Kolkata Chapter was held in association with the Lions Club of Kolkata Magnates on December 15, 2023.
Poets and writers settled in and around Kolkata and participated in the event. Every participant was felicitated with a medal, a certificate of participation, and a sapling. Gifting a plant is symbolic of the gift of growth and nurturing. A message of sentiment, these plants serve to cement the bond that was created on December 15, 2023, in Kolkata.
The guest of honour was Shri Sarbashis Paul, an eminent poet from Islampur, West Bengal. The Chief guest for the event was Dr Bishakha Sharma, a linguist from JNU, Delhi, and a core member of ALS. She conducted a panel discussion on “Poetry or Narratives: What genre popularly mirrors society” with panelists Prof (Dr) Krishna Roy, ex-principal Bethune College, Kolkata, Dr. Nishi Pulugurtha, Associate Professor, Department of English, Brahmananda Keshab Chandra College, Kolkata, and Dr. Aneek Chatterjee, poet and Academic.
Dr Sujata Chatterjee, Author and Poet, and Sreemati Sen, Chapter Head, ALS Kolkata were also present.
Reading from poems and essays was a highlight of the event. Dr. Sujata Chatterjee, Jayashree Bhattacherjee, Soumen Roy, Sreeparna Sen, Jaya Saha and Reetwika Banerjee read out excerpts from their published work.
This was the first Chapter meet held in Kolkata and Founder Manoj Krishnan looks forward to a fruitful journey with the ALS Chapters in different parts of the country and abroad.
