The COVID-19 pandemic was a period marked by hardship for many, but it also inspired a remarkable literary movement among the women poets of Kerala. This turbulent time gave birth to Poetria—a curated platform for poetry, founded and led by Kerala’s women poets. The Forum for Women Poets of Kerala celebrated the third edition of their “Poeta Fest” at the University of Calicut on October 25-26, a testament to the growing strength and visibility of this collective. With over 160 women poets, the forum has carved out a distinct space in Malayalam poetry.
Poetria, the Facebook page of Women Poet’s Forum of Kerala, which is also perceived as a journal, defines the group as "a platform against the discriminations in culture". Stalina, a young poet and one of the founders of the Forum and Poetria, elaborates on this mission, shining a light on the deep-rooted patriarchal structures that continue to marginalise women writers. "The cultural space is filled with people wearing the mask of fake progressiveness, but carrying the burden of redundant conservatism in their minds. The patriarchy simply refuses to acknowledge the contributions of women writers," she says.
The idea of forming this collective emerged from Stalina's conversations with fellow writers, mostly men, where a startling fact came to light. When she asked them to name contemporary women poets in Malayalam, no one could list more than three or four names. "Though not surprising, this was yet another pointer to the systematic invisibilisation of women in the literary landscape," Stalina says. This omission highlighted the urgent need for women poets to establish a dedicated platform to make their voices heard.
On March 31, 2019, a group of women poets gathered in Kochi. It was the pre-lockdown period for the country, but Kerala was grappling with the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, with restrictions in public places such as mask-wearing and social distancing. Despite male poets finding it hard to recall more than three or four women poets, 35 women gathered for that first meeting, united by a common thread: the discrimination and invisibilisation of women poets by established political parties and other male-dominated cultural forums.
"We did not formally launch an organisation at that meeting," Stalina recollects. "We had intense discussions and debates. This was the time when the country was stormed by the anti-CAA protests. As poets, we could not confine ourselves only to poetry at such a politically troubled point." The collective, which took on a loose and informal structure, launched a series of street protests and awareness programmes against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
The home page of Poetria elaborates the forum's vision:
“Keralappenkavikal (A Forum of Women Poets of Kerala) is a space created by the women poets of Kerala to democratise our cultural and social landscapes. We are committed to a poetic vision rooted in organic thought and progressive creativity, steering clear of party politics and transcending the limiting norms of patriarchy. This platform embraces marginalised voices and brings forward writings that have long been sidelined.
Today, we launch this forum as a space for poetry discussions, grounded in the belief that poetry and life are inseparably linked. Through this, we aim to highlight the vital role of women poets in strengthening Malayalam language and literature. We also seek to showcase the work of women poets and poets beyond gender binaries and those who write in languages other than Malayalam.
Here, we’ll explore the rich diversity of Kerala’s poetry and the evolution of world poetry, examining new trends in Malayalam poetry and the shifts in poetic history. Together, we hope to journey to new realms of discourse and creativity, holding fast to democratic values.”
The third edition of “Poeta Fest” held at the University of Calicut was attended by 160 women poets. Despite the large number of women writing poetry, mainstream literary festivals in Kerala have historically had low participation from women poets. "This has been changing slowly. Over the years, the men have started acknowledging the women, but they still have miles to go," says Mitra Neelima, a young poet and organiser of “Poeta Fest”.
Poetria has also held numerous online events engaging in contemporary cultural and political discourse. Apart from reciting poetry and discussing literary trends, Poetria organised online and offline events in response to major political churnings such as the farmers’ struggle and the violence in Manipur. The collective includes several established and popular women poets, such as M.R. Radhamani, Dona Mayoora, Sereena, Leela Solomon, Savithri Rajeevan, and Asha Latha, who are active members. The regular organisational responsibilities are voluntarily taken up by young poets like Stalina, Mithra Neelima and Nishi Leela George. The women poets in the collective have often been questioned for their political stance. Many eyebrows were raised against Poetria when they protested against the CAA and the arrest of poet and activist Varavara Rao. “The question thrown at us—mostly from so-called mainstream established poets—was, 'What do poets have to do with politics?”’ says Stalina. For the collective, poetry is inseparable from politics.
Through their Facebook page and website, Poetria has published hundreds of poems by women as well as translations and literary reviews. The poets who organise the collective affirm that Poetria is the only platform for many women who are not “influential” enough to get their poems published in mainstream literary magazines. Poetria published a visual poetry series curated by Dona Mayoora and an art series on ‘artist’ curated by painter, poet and art historian Kavitha Balakrishnan who is also a member of the Forum of Women Poets.
Fifty-six-year-old Bilkis Maliyekkal, an Anganwadi teacher from Palakkad, who is passionate about writing poems learnt about Poeta Fest only the previous night, October 24. Despite her initial nervousness, Bilkis, who had recently published a poetry collection, set off for the University with a copy of her book. "I didn’t know anybody there, and I was unsure if I would be welcomed. But when I arrived, I received a very warm welcome." Having her book released at the festival was a dream come true for Bilkis. "I have no words to express my happiness and gratitude. I was never part of any such platform for women. I look forward to participating in future gatherings of women poets organised by this collective," she says.
Bilkis's story is a testament to what Poetria stands for. She has studied only up to the tenth grade and is not exposed to the changing trends in poetry. “I am an ordinary woman; I have not read much. I don’t know many poets either,” Bilkis says.
“I am not sure whether her poetry will work well with readers, but for us, it is important that a woman like her could walk in, take the mic, and speak. She got an audience and a space. That is what matters,” says Mitra Neelima.
The theme of Poeta Fest 2024 was “creativity, freedom and society”. By creating a dedicated space for women’s poetry, the group is not only countering the systemic invisibility of women in the literary landscape but also fostering a vibrant, inclusive, and politically engaged community of poets. They are determined to carve out new pathways for women to claim their rightful place in the cultural discourse, empowering them to confront and dismantle the patriarchal norms that have confined their creative expression for too long.
