SPECIAL EDITION ON THE OCCASION OF THE 16TH ANNIVERSARY OF URBAN SOLACE COMPRISING A 4-PART SPECIAL OF POETRY FROM THE HEART WITH 5 POETS IN EACH EDITION, MAKING IT A GRAND EXPERIENCE OF THE VERY BEST POETS IN BANGALORE, MAKING IT 16 POETS FOR OUR 16TH ANNIVERSARY.

This celebration of Urban Solace and our celebration of poetry spans 4 weeks with 4 poets each Tuesday, making it 16 poets for our 16th anniversary of Urban Solace.

The second edition of this special edition feature 4 of Bangalore’s most talented poets – Pramod Shankar, Rohini, Adithya and Devi Sastry

ABOUT TUESDAYS WITH THE BARD AT URBAN SOLACE

Urban Solace – Your Café for the Soul – is India's first true cultural café, established in 2009. As a pioneer in experiences centred on poetry, comedy, music, art, literature, and more, Urban Solace has nurtured creativity and expression for over 15 years.

“Tuesdays with the Bard @ Urban Solace” earned a place in the Limca Book of Records 2016 as “The Longest Running Poetry Event in India”, becoming a beacon for poetic expression.

For over 15 years, this event has evoked tears of joy, moments of reflection, bursts of laughter, and applause, creating a community bound by the magic of words. With every poet, Urban Solace has created a space where voices are heard and emotions transcend.

ABOUT THE FEATURED POET 1: Pramod Shankar

Pramod Shankar’s poetry was shortlisted for the All-India Poetry Award organised by The Poetry Society – India and the British High Commission in 1993 and 1994. His published books of poetry are From the Terrace, Writers Workshop, 2000; Mind the Monkey, Booksthakam, 2020; and Varalaalinte Mazhakkottu (The Murrel’s Raincoat: Malayalam), Ivory Books, 2022. He has also published a book of nonfiction, The Power of Positive Healing, Gangarams, 1995. Pramod’s poetry has been featured in the yearly collections of The Poetry Society – India and the British High Commission, 1993 & 1994; The Journal of Literature and Aesthetics, 2004; and The Palm Leaf, published from London, 2022.

Pramod is the founder of Poetry with Zac, the world’s only poetry meet chaired by a cocker spaniel, which he has been organising from his backyard for over 7 years.  

ABOUT THE FEATURED POET 2: Rohini

Rohini is a poet, writer and tarot card reader. She brings her lived experiences, including depression, neurodivergence, queerness and the general 'what the fuck' of the world, into all her work.

Rohini believes in the fundamental interconnectedness of all things. That includes us.

ABOUT THE FEATURED POET 3: Adithya

Adithya is a marketing manager by profession and if he is not working in his day job, he would usually be found daydreaming cross-legged about the next poem to write, the next book to read, or the next movie to watch. When you ask Adithya to describe himself, he would usually turn to the word ‘weird’. If you ask his friends to describe him, they would either use the word ‘deep’ or talk about his goofy & idiotic sense of humour.

Adithya’s poems reflect his child-like wonder and love for storytelling, his penchant for finding magic in the little things life has to offer and his firm belief that ‘adulting’ is a distractingly dull business.

ABOUT THE FEATURED POET 4: Devi Sastry

Devi Sastry is a writer, editor, and educator from Bengaluru. Her life and writing revolve around food, family, multilingualism, and the environment. She holds an MFA in poetry from New York University, and her writing has been published in Dhoop Magazine, Poetry Northwest, Honey Literary, and Bengaluru Review, among other publications. She offers workshops in creative and critical writing and works with multiple organisations creating learning materials to promote humanities education.