Bhubaneswar Poetry Club Starts Podcast Series To Lift Spirits Amidst Lockdown

Bhubaneswar: With the number of positive coronavirus cases climbing in the state and the nationwide lockdown very much in force, different organizations are thinking out of the box to try and cheer up the people confined to their homes.

The Bhubaneswar Poetry Club (BPC), for instance, has started a podcast series titled ‘Poets-on-Air’ in which poems on various themes are recited to bring a smile on people’s faces.

“We started the programme last year as a radio talk show. We talk to people, understand their situations and accordingly dedicate a poem that will inspire them and cheer them up,” informed Sourav Panda, a member of BPC.

“After the lockdown was implemented in Odisha, we realised poetry can help people, so we thought of taking poetry to their phones. One just has to plug in their earphones to listen to the recitations… This week poems by Mary Oliver, William Henley, Gulzaar, Joy Harjo, Theodore Roethke were recited,” said Panda adding that they had done five episodes so far. Some well-known Odia poets and their poems will be added to the list in the next few days.

Besides apps like ‘Spotify’ and ‘Itunes’, gthe podcasts are also available on Facebook and  Instagram handle of ‘Bhubaneswar Poetry Club’.