Poetry: Book Reviews

Audience members attending poet Shanta Acharya's reading at the Nehru Centre, London are interviewed about the reading, her CD and poetry books...

What Survives Is The Singing (Indigo Dreams Publishing, UK; 2020)

  1. The High Window (UK), 4 Dec 2022, What Survives Is The Singing by Shanta Acharya. By Stephen Claughton.
  2. Kavya Bharati (India), Number 33, 2021. A Life In Poems: A Review of Imagine: New and Selected Poems and What Survives Is The Singing by Shanta Acharya. By Anita Money.
  3. Life and Legends (USA), 21 Dec 2021. What Survives Is The Singing by Shanta Acharya. By Sarah Lawson.
  4. Write Out Loud (UK), 15 February 2021. What Survives Is The Singing by Shanta Acharya. By Carla Scarano D’Antonio.
  5. Journal of Postcolonial Writing (UK), Volume 57, No 1 135-137, 2021. What Survives Is The Singing: Shanta Acharya. By Martyn Crucefix.
  6. Magma (UK) Issue 78, 2021. What Survives Is The Singing: Shanta Acharya. By Andre Bagoo.
  7. Artemispoetry (UK) Issue 25, November 2020. What Survives Is The Singing: Shanta Acharya. By Kaye Lee.
  8. Agenda (online supplement with the issue ‘Altered Distances’ Vol 54, Nos 1-2, published in November 2020). What Survives Is The Singing (Indigo Dreams Publishing, UK; 2020). By Anita Money (pages 7-10).
  9. The International Literary Quarterly (USA), October 2020. ‘A Shining Forth – What Survives Is The Singing: Shanta Acharya.’ By Lance Lee.
  10. The Poet (UK), 19 October 2020. What Survives Is The Singing by Shanta Acharya. By Neil Leadbeater.
  11. Envoi (UK), Issue 185, Autumn 2020. ‘Shining Forth – What Survives Is The Singing: Shanta Acharya.’ By Lance Lee.
  12. The Book Review (India), Volume XLIV, Number 6, June 2020. ‘Poems Homing on Songs and Letters: What Survives Is The Singing by Shanta Acharya.’ By Yogesh Patel.
  13. Guardian Poem of the Week (UK), ‘Ambala’, 18 May 2020. By Carol Rumens.
  14. Acumen (UK), Issue 97, May 2020. “Singing and Surviving” by Edmund Prestwich.
  15. London Grip (UK), March 2020. By John Snelling.

Imagine: New and Selected Poems (HarperCollins, India; 2017)

  1. Pirene’s Fountain: Tenth Anniversary Issue (USA), Vol 11, Issue 19, 2018, pp 110-113. “Imagine: New and Selected Poems” Reviewed by Andrea Witzke Slot.
  2. Stand (UK), Issue 218, Vol 16 (2), May - June 2018), pp 107-109. “Essential Questions, Imagine: New and Selected Poems” by N.S. Thompson.
  3. Indian Literature (India), Number 305, May/June 2018, pp 204-207. “A Meeting Point Between Life and Words, Imagine: New and Selected Poems” by Indu K Mallah.
  4. Wasafiri: International Contemporary Writing (UK), Issue 94, Summer 2018, p 99. “Shanta Acharya, Imagine: New & Selected Poems” by Cecile Sandten.
  5. Agenda (UK), Essays and Reviews online with the special T S Eliot issue, Vol 51, No 3-4, 2017, pp 13-17. “Shanta Acharya, Imagine: New and Selected Poems” by Anita Money.
  6. The Lake (UK), January 2018, “Shanta Acharya, Imagine: New & Selected Poems” by Usha Kishore.
  7. The Manchester Review (UK), Issue 18, November 2017. “Shanta Acharya, Imagine: New and Selected Poems” by Edmund Prestwich.
  8. Journal of Postcolonial Writing (UK), Vol 54, 2018, Issue 2, pp 294-295. “Shanta Acharya, Imagine: New and Selected Poems” by Emma Bird.
  9. Envoi (UK), Issue 177, October 2017. “A Sense of Largeness” by Lance Lee.
  10. The Book Review (India), Vol XLI, No 9, September 2017. “Perceptions of Identity” by Rachna Joshi.
  11. Lakeview International Journal of Literature and Arts (India), Vol. 5, No. 2, August 2017, pages 71-73. “Review of Imagine: New and Selected Poems” by R.V. Bailey.
  12. Blogspot (Ireland), 30 July 2017. “The jnani in the poetry of Shanta Acharya” by Deirdre Hines.
  13. London Grip (UK), July 2017. By Sarah Lawson.
  14. The Poetry Review (UK), Summer Issue, 2017. By Alison Brackenbury.
  15. Poetry Wire, The Hindu Literary Review (India), 10 June 2017. “Like the final notes of Schubert” by Keki N Daruwalla.
  16. The Hindu (India), 18 March 2017. “On the wings of the personal,” By K Srilata.
  17. The Journal of The Poetry Society (India), Vol 27, 2016. “Shanta Acharya – Imagine: New and Selected Poems.” By Mandira Ghosh.

Dreams That Spell The Light (Arc Publications, UK; 2010)

  1. University of Bucharest Review – A Journal of Literary and Cultural Studies, No. 01/2014, Department of English, University of Bucharest, pp 80-87 (ISSN 2069–8658). By Elena Nistor, “Seeking, Finding a Home”: Configurations of Transnational Identity in Shanta Acharya’s Dreams That Spell The Light (2010).
  2. Agenda Poetry (UK), Vol 46, No 3, 2012, “A Way of Seeing.” By Martyn Crucefix.
  3. South Asian Review (USA), Vol 32, No 2, 2011. By Jaysinh Birjepatil.
  4. Muse India (India), Issue 38, July-Aug 2011, “A search for spiritual equilibrium.” By Anita Money.
  5. Journal of Postcolonial Writing (UK), Vol 47, No 3, July 2011. By Kate Marsh.
  6. Wasafiri (UK), Issue 65, Spring 2011. By Birte Heidemann.
  7. Biblio (India), Vol XV, No 3 & 4, March-April 2011. By Keki Daruwalla.
  8. Confluence (UK), Spring 2011. By Lakshmi Holmstrom.
  9. Indian Literature (India), Number 260, Nov/Dec 2010. By Anna Sujatha Mathai.
  10. Ambit (UK), Number 202, 2010. By Keki N Daruwalla.
  11. Artemis Poetry (UK), Issue 5, November 2010. By Maggie Sawkins.
  12. Kavya Bharati (India), Number 22, Winter 2010. “Evoking Place and Space of Here and There.” By Prof Cecile Sandten.
  13. Exiled Ink (UK), Issue 14, Winter 2010. By Anita Money.
  14. The Hindu Literary Review (India), 4 Dec 2010. “Inner journeys,” By K Srilata.
  15. Poetry Review (UK), Vol 100: 3, Autumn 2010. By Jane Holland.
  16. Orbis: Quarterly International Literary Journal (UK), Vol 152, Summer 2010. “The Real and Ideal” By Lance Lee.
  17. The IUP Journal of Commonwealth Literature (India), Vol. II, No. 2, July 2010. By Lakshmi Holmstrom.
  18. Amazon.co.uk. Review of Dreams That Spell The Light. By Lance Lee.
  19. The Book Review (India), May 2010. “Learning from travels.” By Ketaki Kushari Dyson.
  20. The Manchester Review. 4 May 2010. By Edmund Prestwich.

Shringara (Shoestring Press, UK, 2006)

  1. Acumen (UK), Number 60, January 2008. “Inviting the Unknown; Shringara by Shanta Acharya.” By Anita Money.
  2. Dream Catcher (UK), Number 19, 2007. By Nicole Kime.
  3. The Book Review (India), June 2007. By Ketaki Kushari Dyson.
  4. Envoi (UK), Number 146, 2007. “A Unique Voice: Shanta Acharya, Shringara; Shoestring Press.” By Lance Lee.
  5. Tears in the Fence (UK), Issue 46, 2007. By Ketaki Kushari Dyson.
  6. Journal of Literature & Aesthetics (India), Vol 5, Nos 1-2, Jan-Dec 2005. “A Unique Voice Has Come Among Us: Shringara by Shanta Acharya.” Lance Lee.
  7. Edinburgh Review (UK), Number 119, 2007. Shringara. By R.V. Bailey.
  8. Samyukta (India), Vol. VI. No. 2, 2006. “Poetic Sculptures of Condensed Grief.” By P. Radhika.
  9. Kavya Bharati (India), Number 18, 2006. “A Participant in Life’s Carnival.” By Cecile Sandten.
  10. Confluence (UK), Vol 5, No 6, September-October 2006. “Shringara reflects the contemporary cosmopolitan poet, moving from one culture to another with ease.” By Usha Kishore.
  11. The Little Magazine (India), Vol 4, Issue 4-5, 2006. By Keki Daruwalla.
  12. Indian Literature (India), Issue 234 July-August 2006. “Shringara by Shanta Acharya.” By Jaydeep Sarangi.
  13. Ambit 186, 2006 (UK). “Shringara by Shanta Acharya.” By Jim Burns.

Looking In, Looking Out (Headland Publications, UK; 2005)

  1. South Asian Review (USA), Vol. XXVII, No. 1, 2006. By Jaysinh Birjepatil.
  2. The Journal of Commonwealth Literature (India) 2006. By Shyamala A Narayan.
  3. Samyukta (India), Vol VI, No 1, Jan 2006. “Assorted Delicacies.” By Dr Jayasree Ramakrishnan Nair.
  4. Envoi (UK), Number 144, 2006. By Rosemarie Bailey.
  5. Tears in the Fence (UK), Issue 43, 2006. By Ketaki Kushari Dyson.
  6. Other Poetry (UK), Series II, No 29, 2006. By Michael Standen.
  7. Wasafiri (UK), Vol. 21, No 1 March 2006. By Devon Campbell-Hall.
  8. The Hindu Literary Review (India), 5 Feb 2006. “Capturing life in all its hues.” By Lakshmi Kannan.
  9. The Book Review (India), January-February 2006. “Life as a Series of Windows.” By Usha Kishore.
  10. Kavya Bharati (India), Number 16, 2004. “The Inner And The Outer.” By Lakshmi Holmstrom.
  11. Confluence (UK), Vol 4, No 5, September- October 2005. “An Urban Poet, but with a wider international leaning.” By Debjani Chatterjee.
  12. Ambit (UK), Issue 182, Autumn 2005. By Judy Gahagan

Numbering Our Days’ Illusions (Rockingham Press, UK; 1995)

  1. Kavya Bharati (India), Number 10, 1998, pp. 191-92. “Snapshots of a chimerical world.” By Lakshmi Holmstrom.
  2. Journal of Literature & Aesthetics (India), Vol 6, No 1, Jan-June 1998, pp 108-110. Dr Jayasree Ramakrishnan Nair.
  3. Envoi (UK), Number 115, 1996. By R.V. Bailey.
  4. The Book Review (India), Volume XIX, No. 9. By Shobhana Bhattacharji.
  5. The Hindu (India), March 5, 1996. “True Voice of a Poet.” By Shyamala A. Narayan.
  6. The Swansea Review (UK), No 15, 1995. By Glyn Pursglove.
  7. The Sunday Observer (India), July 2, 1995. By Keki Daruwalla

Not This, Not That (Rupa & Co, India; 1994)

  1. Acumen (UK), 20, October 1994. By Patricia Oxley.
  2. Indian Review of Books, (India), July 16-August 15, 1994. “Compelling Insights.” By Anjana Desai.
  3. Sunday (India), June 11, 1994. “Sense and Sensibility.” By Keki Daruwalla

General Reviews / Citations

  1. Carol Rumens’ ‘Poem of the Week’, 18 May 2020, Guardian Online.
  2. Nandika (India), Thursday 21 Dec 2017 pp. 27-31. A critical assessment and translation of Shanta Acharya’s poems into Odia by Kshirod Parida.
  3. Acumen (UK), Number 88, May 2017, “Poetry: You Know It When You See It.” By Andrew Knight.
  4. Muse India (India) Issue 75, (Sept-Oct 2017), “Home Thoughts: Poetry Of The British Indian Diaspora, Eds. Usha Kishore & Jaydeep Sarangi.” By Tita Biswas
  5. The Lake (UK), March 2017, “Home Thoughts: Poetry Of The British Indian Diaspora, Eds. Usha Kishore & Jaydeep Sarangi, Cyberwit, 2017. 123pp. ISBN 978-93-85945-71-7. INR 200, US$ 14.99.” By Mahuya Bhoumik.
  6. The Hindu (India) Sept 6, 2014. “A reader’s delight.” By Sachidananda Mohanty.
  7. Kavya Bharati (India), Number 26, 2014, “Landscapes of Self: A Quest for Identity in Contemporary Indian Women’s Poetry.” By Asha Viswas.
  8. The Challenge (India), Vol 23, No. 1, Jan-June, 2014. “A Celebration of the Poetry of Shanta Acharya.” By Lance Lee.
  9. Carol Rumens’ ‘Poem of the Week’, 26 September 2011, Guardian On-line.
  10. Tanushree Nayak, The Journey of the Poets: A Comparative Study of the Poems of Adrienne Rich, Anne Sexton, Shanta Acharya and Deepa Agarwal (June 22, 2012). The IUP Journal of American Literature, Vol. IV, No. 3, August 2011, pp. 26-30.
  11. The ChronicleHerald.ca (USA). Seeing Red over being British
    Black authors make varied use of colour in new U.K. anthology. By George Elliott Clarke.
  12. Confluence (UK). Book Review: We Speak in Changing Languages: Indian Women Poets 1990-2007, ed. E V Ramakrishnan and Anju Makhija (Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi; India, 2009). By Prof Cecile Sandten.
  13. Indian English Women Poets, ed. Anisur Rahmand and Ameena Kazi Ansari (New Delhi: Creative Books, 2009). “Shanta Acharya: The Journey of a Poet.” By Lakshmi Holmstrom. 
  14. Journal of Postcolonial Writing, Vol 45, No 2, June 2009. Shanta Acharya, Looking In, Looking Out, West Kirby, Headland, 2005, 64 pp., £7.50 (paperback), ISBN 1 902096 89 4; Shanta Acharya, Shringara, Nottingham, Shoestring Press, 2006, 61 pp., £8.95 (paperback), ISBN 978 1 904886 23 5. By Kate Marsh.  
  15. Critical Practice (India), Vol XV, 2008. “Shanta Acharya: The Journey of a Poet.” By Lakshmi Holmstrom. 
  16. The Prodigal Tongue: Dispatches from the Future of English by Mark Abley (Houghton Mifflin, US; 2008). By Mark Abley.
  17. Critical Essays on Post-Colonial Literature: Contribution to Post-Colonial Indian English Literature (Atlantic Publishers & Distributors, India; 2007). By Bijoy Kumar Das.
  18. Kavya Bharati (India), Number 19, 2007. “A Unique Voice Has Come Among Us: The Poetry of Shanta Acharya.” By Lance Lee.
  19. Studies in Postcolonial Literature (Atlantic Publishers and Distributors, India; 2007). By M.Q Khan and Bijay Kumar Das.
  20. June 2006, Review of Masala/ Poems from India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka (Macmillan Children’s Books, UK; 2005) ed Debjani Chatterjee. By Marjorie Coughlan.
  21. Kavya Bharati (India), Number 17, 2005. “Sujata Bhatt’s and Shanta Acharya’s Shakespeare-Poems.” By Cecile Sandten.
  22. Oxford English Literary History 1948-2000: “The Internationalisation of English Literature,” Vol 13 (Oxford English Literary History Series), 2004. By Bruce King.
  23. Mslexia (UK), Issue 18, 2003. “Romance: New poetry and prose introduced by Sophie Hannah.”
  24. The Week, (India), March 17, 2002. “Poetry in Exile.” By Usha Kishore.
  25. World Literature Today, Spring 2001, Vol 75, Issue 2. Review of The Redbeck Anthology of British South Asian Poetry. By Bruce King.
  26. The Daily Star (Dhaka), Vol 3, No 649, June 30, 2001. By Shamsad Mortuza.
  27. City Life Magazine (UK), September 13, 2000. “The Spice of Self:” On the new anthology of British South Asian Poetry. By Hana Borrowman.
  28. The Novels of Anita Desai: A Critical Study edited by Manmohan K Bhatnagar and M. Rajeshwar (Atlantic Publishers & Distributors, India; 2000)