CONTRIBUTORS

Gopika Jadeja

Gopika Jadeja is a bilingual poet and translator from India, writing in English and Gujarati. She publishes and edits a print journal and a series of pamphlets for a performance-publishing project called Five Issues. Her work has been published in MPT, Wasafiri, Asymptote, The Wolf, Cha: An Asian Literary Journal, Indian Literature, Vahi, Etad and others. She is working on a project of English translations of poetry from Gujarat. She currently lives and works in Singapore.

Untitled Poem #1

“Is my love nothing for I’ve borne no children?” I’m with you, Sappho, in that anarchist land. – Agha Shahid Ali Move into a rented house in a foreign land and imagine that you are making a home. Tie a …

Posted in 99: SINGAPORE | Tagged

Untitled Poem #2

I have heard that my mother’s nanabapu planted mango trees on his farm so that you could taste the the fruit from March to August. Such lush green in the Kutch desert. Walking on the land, you could travel from …

Posted in 99: SINGAPORE | Tagged

I Have Seen Words | لفظ کو دیکھا ہے مَیں نے

Translated from the Urdu to the English by Gopika Jadeja I have seen words in the rain Retreating into the jute shelter In the queue for kerosene Withering in the eyes of Unhappy children. Standing empty stomach Drinking tea out …

Posted in 76: DALIT INDIGENOUS | Tagged ,

My Poetry | મારી કવિતા

Translated from the Gujarati to the English by Gopika Jadeja My poetry dressed in its dirty clothes poor like me still awaits acceptance from the silky pages of magazines Still seen thorough critical eyes Unseen Unheard it lies half conscious …

Posted in 76: DALIT INDIGENOUS | Tagged ,

Puppet | કઠપૂતળી

Translated from the Gujarati to the English by Gopika Jadeja Histories roar within me at orders from their fingertips A puppet, I dance on to fill the empty stomachs of my tribe I too have a story to tell Large …

Posted in 76: DALIT INDIGENOUS | Tagged ,

To Progress | આગલા વાદાઁ

Translated from the Dehwali to the English by Gopika Jadeja When I read my poetry In our language In the raga of my ancestors They look beneath my mouth Clap enthusiastically for a few moments But in order to understand …

Posted in 76: DALIT INDIGENOUS | Tagged ,