Tamil Nadu - Tiruchi

She owes her poetry skills to Indian ambience

S. Aishwarya

WITH OPEN MIND: Diana Bridge speaking to students in Tiruchi on Tuesday. — Photo: R. Ashok.

TIRUCHI : When Diana Bridge geared up for her poetry reading at the Jamal Mohamed College here on Tuesday, little did she realise that the interaction would be of transcultural importance.

A New Zealand born poet, Ms. Bridge's poetry began in New Delhi when she accompanied her husband Nick Bridge who was the New Zealand's High Commissioner to India then. Since then, she has had four volumes of poetry published in New Zealand, Australia and the United Kingdom.

Reading her fourth book of poems `Red Leaves' which was released last year, Diana owes her poetry skills to Indian ambience. "This is the country that triggered my poetry talents", she told the English Department students.

Her book teems with vivid images drawn from Indian sources and the poets own experience of these places. The last section, The Imprint of India, directly explores the impact of India, so crucial in her origin as a writer.

For the students, her works stand apart from other New Zealand literary works. They felt New Zealand literature focussed on landscape poetry and not much of social issues to which Ms. Diana replied, "The history of New Zealand revolves around nature unlike India, which has greater social issues to deal with."

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