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The Penguin Book of Poems on the Indian City
From Ghalib’s Delhi and Nissim Ezekiel’s Bombay to Agha Shahid Ali’s Srinagar and Kamala Das’s Calcutta, from Sarojini Naidu’s Hyderabad to Arundhathi Subramaniam’s Madras to Kynpham Sing Nongkynrih’s Shillong; The Penguin Book of Poems on the Indian City takes you on a spectacular poetic journey across thirty-seven cities in India.
This anthology contains 375 poems, those written in English and those translated from nearly twenty languages. From the classical voices of Valmiki and the Sangam poets to the Bhakti and Sufi strains of Surdas, Kabir and Amir Khusrau, and the early modern figures like Mir Taqi Mir, Narmad, Rudyard Kipling and Rabindranath Tagore, this collection offers an immersive lyrical exploration of India’s urban landscape.
Contemporary poets such as Arvind Krishna Mehrotra, Vikram Seth, Eunice de Souza, Arun Kolatkar, Amrita Pritam, Amit Chaudhuri and Gulzar carry this tradition into the present. Together, they take the reader through depictions of cities as imperial capitals, colonial outposts and dynamic, ever-evolving spaces that serve as the backdrop for postmodern life. At its core, this collection portrays the Indian city as a complex organism and living embodiment of the collective consciences of its many, many residents. A collection for not just those who live in the cities featured in this book but for anyone who is familiar with the chaotic, paradoxical and magical tableau that constitutes life in a city in this part of the world.
This anthology contains 375 poems, those written in English and those translated from nearly twenty languages. From the classical voices of Valmiki and the Sangam poets to the Bhakti and Sufi strains of Surdas, Kabir and Amir Khusrau, and the early modern figures like Mir Taqi Mir, Narmad, Rudyard Kipling and Rabindranath Tagore, this collection offers an immersive lyrical exploration of India’s urban landscape.
Contemporary poets such as Arvind Krishna Mehrotra, Vikram Seth, Eunice de Souza, Arun Kolatkar, Amrita Pritam, Amit Chaudhuri and Gulzar carry this tradition into the present. Together, they take the reader through depictions of cities as imperial capitals, colonial outposts and dynamic, ever-evolving spaces that serve as the backdrop for postmodern life. At its core, this collection portrays the Indian city as a complex organism and living embodiment of the collective consciences of its many, many residents. A collection for not just those who live in the cities featured in this book but for anyone who is familiar with the chaotic, paradoxical and magical tableau that constitutes life in a city in this part of the world.
1072 pages, Hardcover
Published May 31, 2025
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November 21, 2025
This is a fascinating anthology of 375 poems with 37 Indian cities, 264 poets, and 90 translators working from 20 languages. The scale and scope of the book is cross-temporal, cross-linguistic, and archival in nature--hence the wide spine. The contributors include classical to distinguished to first-time published poets. With cities, both big and small, it would make for a delightful read for anyone who has ever experienced living in an Indian city, as well someone planning to travel/visit!
For a www.citiesinfiction.com interview, I spoke with the editor of book, Bilal Moin. He shared how the Indian city–by virtue of its density and diversity–offers perhaps the closest thing to a national cross-section; the literary detective work of an anthologist; his personal definition of a city poem; poetry that tickles the five sense; and why the anthology includes lyrics by rock bands. He also shared his thoughts on the role of translations and translators; 'un-becoming' as a necessary poetic sensibility of contemporary Indian poets; the rediscovery of some forgotten poems in the course of the three years of compiling, transcribing, and acquiring rights for the anthology; and how he became a reader, among other things.
For a particular question, I asked him about poems that might tickle one's five senses. Here is his response:
SIGHT: Ranjit Hoskote's 'Marine Drive'; Latheesh Mohan’s 'Sivan Kovil Street – A Comprehensive Account' (translated by Ra Sh); K. Srilata’s 'Bionote', Vivek Narayanan’s 'Ganga: n Views'; S. Nisar Ahmed’s 'At Mysore Zoo' (translated by Sumatheendra Nadig), Brian Mendonça’s 'Last Bus to Vasco', Kandala Singh’s 'Carrying Rain', and Arvind Krishna Mehrotra’s 'Bharati Bhavan Library, Chowk, Allahabad'.
SOUND: 'Street Cries' by Sarojini Naidu, 'Letters from the Rain' by Vilas Sarang (translated from Marathi by the poet), Jamasp Phiroze Dastur’s 'The Temple of Justice', 'A River' by A.K. Ramanujan, Gieve Patel’s 'Naryal Purnima', and Thangjam Ibopishak’s 'Mini India' (translated by Robin S. Ngangom).
SMELL: 'Banaras: Odors' by Riyaz Latif, 'Bombay Fish Market' by Kavita Ezekiel Mendonca, Deepankar Khiwani’s 'Life On The Island', Maitreyee Bhattacharjee Chowdhury’s '12/12, The Rosary Shop'.
TOUCH: Mesak Takhelmayum’s 'Imphal as a Pond', Arundhathi Subramaniam’s '5.46, Andheri Local', R. Raj Rao's 'Shivaling Swayamwar', Dileep Jhaveri's 'City of Echoes' (translated by Pradip N. Khandwalla), Faisal Mohyuddin’s 'Ayodhya', and Kabita Sinha’s 'Calcutta Has Murdered Me' (translated by Pritish Nandy).
TASTE: Uttaran Das Gupta’s 'Mizo Diner', Tarun Bhartiya’s 'Tourist Information for Shillong' (translated by the poet), 'Madras' by Arundhathi Subramaniam, 'At the Edge of Park Circus' by Zilka Joseph, 'Sweet Shop' by Amit Chaudhury, Shalim M. Hussain’s 'Udit Narayan', and Namdeo Dhasal’s 'Kamatipura' (translated by Dilip Chitre).
You can read the full interview here: https://www.citiesinfiction.com/bilal...
For a www.citiesinfiction.com interview, I spoke with the editor of book, Bilal Moin. He shared how the Indian city–by virtue of its density and diversity–offers perhaps the closest thing to a national cross-section; the literary detective work of an anthologist; his personal definition of a city poem; poetry that tickles the five sense; and why the anthology includes lyrics by rock bands. He also shared his thoughts on the role of translations and translators; 'un-becoming' as a necessary poetic sensibility of contemporary Indian poets; the rediscovery of some forgotten poems in the course of the three years of compiling, transcribing, and acquiring rights for the anthology; and how he became a reader, among other things.
For a particular question, I asked him about poems that might tickle one's five senses. Here is his response:
SIGHT: Ranjit Hoskote's 'Marine Drive'; Latheesh Mohan’s 'Sivan Kovil Street – A Comprehensive Account' (translated by Ra Sh); K. Srilata’s 'Bionote', Vivek Narayanan’s 'Ganga: n Views'; S. Nisar Ahmed’s 'At Mysore Zoo' (translated by Sumatheendra Nadig), Brian Mendonça’s 'Last Bus to Vasco', Kandala Singh’s 'Carrying Rain', and Arvind Krishna Mehrotra’s 'Bharati Bhavan Library, Chowk, Allahabad'.
SOUND: 'Street Cries' by Sarojini Naidu, 'Letters from the Rain' by Vilas Sarang (translated from Marathi by the poet), Jamasp Phiroze Dastur’s 'The Temple of Justice', 'A River' by A.K. Ramanujan, Gieve Patel’s 'Naryal Purnima', and Thangjam Ibopishak’s 'Mini India' (translated by Robin S. Ngangom).
SMELL: 'Banaras: Odors' by Riyaz Latif, 'Bombay Fish Market' by Kavita Ezekiel Mendonca, Deepankar Khiwani’s 'Life On The Island', Maitreyee Bhattacharjee Chowdhury’s '12/12, The Rosary Shop'.
TOUCH: Mesak Takhelmayum’s 'Imphal as a Pond', Arundhathi Subramaniam’s '5.46, Andheri Local', R. Raj Rao's 'Shivaling Swayamwar', Dileep Jhaveri's 'City of Echoes' (translated by Pradip N. Khandwalla), Faisal Mohyuddin’s 'Ayodhya', and Kabita Sinha’s 'Calcutta Has Murdered Me' (translated by Pritish Nandy).
TASTE: Uttaran Das Gupta’s 'Mizo Diner', Tarun Bhartiya’s 'Tourist Information for Shillong' (translated by the poet), 'Madras' by Arundhathi Subramaniam, 'At the Edge of Park Circus' by Zilka Joseph, 'Sweet Shop' by Amit Chaudhury, Shalim M. Hussain’s 'Udit Narayan', and Namdeo Dhasal’s 'Kamatipura' (translated by Dilip Chitre).
You can read the full interview here: https://www.citiesinfiction.com/bilal...
Displaying 1 of 1 review