Thinley Namgay

The intersection of cultural identity and passion is a powerful catalyst for poetry.

Singaporean poet and educator Pooja Nansi said this in a conversation with Siok Sian Pek Dorji, the founding Executive Director of the Bhutan Centre for Media and Democracy, on the theme ‘From Dragon Tales to Lion City: A Bhutan-Singapore Literary Exchange’.

Pooja Nansi shared about the profound influence of Gujarati folk songs and classic Bollywood music on her poetic journey. “These elements opened up new avenues within me, freeing my poetic expression,” she said.

She said that her poetry is bodily and performative,  a tradition she cherishes even if her work finds no readership or financial success.

Reflecting on the challenges of sustaining a career in poetry, Pooja Nansi said: “Unless one is exceptionally gifted, making a living through poetry alone is difficult. But if you are passionate, making money shouldn’t be the primary focus.”

She lauded the vibrant poetry scene in Singapore, where works are created in English, Malay, Mandarin, and Tamil. “Today, print runs for poetry books often reach a thousand copies,” she said, illustrating the growing interest in the art form.

She recited a poem dedicated to the late Pakistani legendary singer Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, capturing the essence of his music: “Yours is the music of quiet 4 a.m. Of solitary afternoons that seem unending. Yours is the music of desire. The exhale of the Urdu word for want. Like the sound of a lung first learning to breathe.”

She also shared a poignant poem titled ‘Tell Me the Story’, which offers a glimpse into the life of Bombay through her father’s youthful eyes. The verses resonate with a  sense of longing and the impossibility of fully knowing a city that exists in myriad forms across time and experience.  “There are so many Bombays I do not know, will not know, would die to know but could never know even if I time traveled, whisky, marveled, mused, unsettled, left, untitled.”

Siok Sian Pek Dorji pointed out Bhutan’s rich tradition of poetry, particularly its oral storytelling and lozey (traditional poetry). Despite the prevalence of English-language poetry, she emphasised the diversity of Bhutan’s linguistic landscape.

Pooja Nansi echoed this sentiment, arguing that poetry should not be confined to English.

She also highlighted the robust support system for artists in Singapore, where the government funds cultural initiatives, ensuring that 70 percent of participants in literary festivals are Singaporean.

“Bhutan Echoes is more than a literary festival, where people from different parts of the world get to experience the culture and tradition of Bhutan,” she said.