Kolkata: An anthology of blind poets—possibly the only one in the world—was released in a Braille edition on World Braille Day in the city, expanding the world of visually impaired readers to the struggles and charisma of the sightless geniuses.
The anthology, ‘Sparshanandan Alor Jharna (Sparshanandan Fountain of Lights)’, contains 157 poems and stories by visually impaired authors from across the world, 124 of whom are completely blind, including Homer and John Milton. The book also features works of poets from Bengal and other states, some of whom attended the launch at an auditorium in Gangulypukur on Monday.
The anthology that was released in the form of a printed book last year is part of an initiative that began 28 years ago when the first Braille magazine, ‘Sparshanandan Drishtihinder Braille Patrika’, rolled out in the city. The anthology mostly contains poems in Bengali by authors from Bengal, Jharkhand and Odisha. It also has translated works of blind poets from other Indian states, Nepal and Liberia, West Africa, and that of greats like, Milton and Homer.
“I lost vision in my eyes when I was seven. But it could not stop me from chasing my dreams. I kept studying and writing, but I had no place to showcase my works. That is when the Braille magazine supported me,” said Sanjib Rajak (45), professor at a Baruipur college, who is pursuing PhD in Bengali from Jadavpur University. Poetry has been an inspiration for homemaker Bithika Sarkar (41), who lost her sight at the age of three. “My world is different from most others’ and I have been penning down my feelings from an early age,” said the resident of Haltu.
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