Kolkata's International Poetry Festival Returns for its 8th Edition

News Desk, News Nation 360 : The 8th edition of Chair Poetry Evenings - Kolkata's International Poetry Festival will take place from November 28 to 30, 2025, in Kolkata, welcoming poets from all over the world. Over the course of three days, poets from thirteen nations will present their work in sixteen different languages, strengthening the festival's ethos of linguistic and cultural variety. The lineup this year includes Susan Rich, Simon Armitage, Mona Arshi, Sasha Debevec-McKenney, Bibhas Roy Chowdhury, Madara Gruntmane, Efe Duyan, Melanie Leblanc, Raka Dasgupta, Peter Verhelst, Gurtej Koharwala, Laura Giordani, Shirish Mourya, Jyoti Shobha, Basilio Belliard, Felipe Juaristi, Kira Wuck, Jonaki Ray, Minakshi Patil, and Raquel Santanera—a gathering that promises a rich exchange of poetic voices and traditions. Events at the 8th edition of Chair Poetry Evenings – Kolkata’s International Poetry Festival will open at the Bharatiya Bhasha Parishad auditorium, move to readings and discussions at the Samilton Hotel’s Cloud Tavern, and culminate with the signature “Poetry on the Cruise” on the River Hooghly, offering an intimate setting where poets from around the world share their work on the water. The inaugural evening will feature a folk-and-fusion performance by Urmi Choudhury, Sohini Mukherjee, and Prajna Dutta, adding a rich musical layer to the celebrations. Two new translated poetry titles from Chair Poetry Books—Buried History of Poverty by Efe Duyan and Lost and Recovered Light by Vladimir Korkunov—will be launched, underlining the festival’s commitment to cross-cultural literary exchange. Hosted by the Chair Literary Trust with support from international cultural institutions and local partners, the festival has, over eight years, welcomed poets from more than thirty countries, establishing itself as one of India’s leading platforms for contemporary world poetry.

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