Description
Celestial: A Love Poem
By Abhay K.
- Book Specifications:
- Publisher: Mapin Publishing
- Pages: 160
- Illustrations: 46 illustrations
- Dimensions: 6.75 x 8.75” (171.5 x 222 mm)
- ISBN: 978-93-94501-15-7
- Date of Publishing: 1 November 2023
- Language: English
Celestial is a breathtaking love poem of 100 rhyming couplets wherein the poet restlessly seeks his beloved, who is playing a game of hide-and-seek in the remote corners of the universe. This unique book takes you on a poetic journey to all the 88 star constellations visible from Earth, revealing the hidden mysteries of the cosmos along the way. Accompanied by exquisite illustrations by the tenth-century Persian astronomer ‘Abd al-Rahman al-Sufi, Celestial makes for a delightful, visually stunning read.
Praise for the Book:
“Poetic inquiry at its finest… Celestial is a cultural gem, a mystical ludus.” — Roula-Maria Dib, Director, London Arts-Based Research Centre
“Here is the perfect companion to any stargazing app—Abhay K’s delightful poem Celestial distills the poetic wisdom of the ages in splendid rhyming couplets.” — Christopher Merrill, Director, International Writing Program, The University of Iowa
“A litany to take us out of ourselves, into what Carl Sagan called ‘star stuff’, our ancient home!” — Gabriel Rosenstock, Poet, playwright, and translator
“Whether one is into stargazing for ‘frolicking with Regil Kentaurus’ or for ‘ploughing the celestial bog’, Abhay K offers love-laced couplets of stellar delight.” — Ko Ko Thett, Poet and translator
“These starry-eyed poems are born of a sorcery of voice and discovery, and strike a delicate balance between solitude and waywardness.” — Jayanta Mahapatra, Poet and translator
About the Author:
Abhay K. is the author of a dozen poetry collections, including Stray Poems, Monsoon (Sahitya Akademi, 2022), The Magic of Madagascar, and The Alphabets of Latin America. He is the editor of The Book of Bihari Literature and The Bloomsbury Anthology of Great Indian Poems. His poems have appeared in over 100 literary magazines globally, and his ‘Earth Anthem’ has been translated into over 150 languages. He received the SAARC Literary Award in 2013 and was invited to record his poems at the Library of Congress in 2018. His translations of Kalidasa’s Meghaduta and Ritusamhara won the KLF Poetry Book of the Year Award 2020–21.
