The first ever haiku anthology in English from India – Late-Blooming Cherries

 

is proud to announce the release of

Late~Blooming Cherries

Haiku Poetry from India 

edited by Kynpham Sing Nongkynrih & Rimi Nath

 

This International Haiku Poetry Day, embark on an exquisite poetic odyssey that captures moments from human experiences with depth and delicacy.

 

Releasing 17^th April 2024| 248 pp | Rs 399

 

‘These haiku and senryu by writers from India transcend all geographical, social and cultural boundaries and enter the experience of the readers, no matter where they might live.’ 

LYNNE REES

Well-known haiku writer and co-editor,

Another Country: Haiku Poetry from Wales

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ABOUT THE BOOK

Delicately weaving through life’s tapestry of love and loneliness, joy and grief, the verses in this long-awaited collection brilliantly showcase the exquisiteness of the haiku and senryu, allowing readers to embrace the beauty of each poetic moment. Exploring ‘the pragmatic and the metaphysical with humour, heartbreak, profound insight and a serious appreciation of language chosen for its precision and suggestiveness’, these poems traverse the whole gamut of human experience.

Compiled and edited by accomplished haiku writers Kynpham Sing Nongkynrih and Rimi Nath, Late-Blooming Cherries features contributions from some of the most prominent haiku artists in India. True, in essence, to the meaning of ‘haiku’, or ‘pleasure verse’, and much like the late-blooming cherries of Shillong, this book—which invites readers to reflect on life, nature and human bonds—is meant to be savoured slowly.

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Talking about the collection, co-editor, Kynpham Sing Nongkynrih says, ‘A critic has described Late-Blooming Cherries as “delightfully titled”. Delight is the word I will forever associate with this book—India’s first haiku anthology in English. Working on it was a constant delight. Each poem shimmers with the light of a visionary moment. I feel that we have not created an anthology but have strung together a scintillant pearl-and-diamond necklace. We offer it to the country to wear.’

Rimi Nath, co-editor, adds, ‘A magical moment of realisation can create a haiku. Late-Blooming Cherries: Haiku Poetry from India had such a magical beginning. I hope the readers will experience the same magic we felt while making it. The poems in Late-Blooming Cherries celebrate haiku’s beautiful form, essence, humility, simplicity and tenderness while celebrating haiku poetry in India. Like the cherries, may the poems shine softly in the eyes of its readers and bring light to their hearts.’

Rashmi Menon, Executive Editor, HarperCollins India, says, ‘Kynpham Sing Nongkynrih and Rimi Nath have brought together the best of haiku writers in India to curate a mélange of human experience, making this first-of-a-kind haiku anthology a must-read for aficionados of poetry. Well-known poet Lynne Rees’s foreword and the editors’ introduction give valuable context to the art and form of haiku writing, making it the perfect gift for haiku fans as well as readers who are new to haiku. With depth, delicacy and a time-honoured focus on nature and its profound hues, Late-Blooming Cherries is a masterful collection that I am confident will be cherished by poetry lovers today and forever.’

 

ABOUT THE EDITORS

Kynpham Sing Nongkynrih writes poetry, drama and fiction in Khasi and English. His latest works include the epic-length novel Funeral Nights, The Yearning of Seeds, Time’s Barter: Haiku and Senryu and Around the Hearth: Khasi Legends. His poems and stories have been published on national and international platforms.  His has won many awards including the Northeast Poetry Award (2004). He teaches literature at Northeastern Hill University, Shillong.

Rimi Nath writes poems, haiku, short fiction, fiction and scholarly essays. She is the author of Kushiara and Other Poems. Her poems and haiku have appeared in several national and international publications. She teaches literature at North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong.