Rekha Rajvanshi invited by Sahitya Akademi to represent Australia
Rekha Rajvanshi, our own Hindi writer and poet of the Australian Indian community down under, has been invited by the Sahitya Akademi to represent Australia in the IORA (Indian Ocean Rim Association) nations to participate along with many renowned writers and poets. The International Festival of Poetry is being held in Delhi from March 1 -3, 2014 at the behest of the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India and Sahitya Akademi. Rekha has been invited to recite her poems in Hindi and English and they will be part of an anthology, which will be released during the festival.
Says Rekha, “It is matter of pride to be invited as the Akademi’s guest and represent literature from the Australian continent. The fact that the Akademi has finally put us in spotlight is just a matter of great happiness and satisfaction.”
Rekha Rajvanshi migrated from India in the year 2000. A recognised poet and a writer Rekha landed with three poetry books in her suitcase as she embarked on consolidating literary efforts and form a group of poets and writers under the umbrella ILASA ”“ Indian Literary & Art Society of Australia Inc. with has chapters in Melbourne, Brisbane, Wollongong, Perth, Adelaide and Canberra. She also got together 11 poets from all over Australia and published an anthology of poems ”˜Boomerang- Australia se kavitayen’. She has since published her own poetry in a book of poems ”˜Kangaroon ke Desh me’. The poems depict Rekha’s journey as a migrant, which mirror experiences of settling in a new land and culture and the struggle involved to be accepted in a new land. The poems are full of nostalgia back home yet are about our current life and its ups and downs. Under the umbrella of ILASA Rekha has been able to collect a group of like-minded upcoming literary writers as well some seasoned writers who were quietly writing. Rekha has been able to extract a body of Indian migrant literature as she also runs a blog ”˜Sahitya Australia’ where many writers have contributed many thoughtful poems and short stories. In 1996 Rekha was honoured by the then President Sri Shankar Dayal Sharma and Mrs Vimala Sharma n the President’s House. Apart from her 5 published books, Rekha has contributed her stories, poems and articles in many Indian and international publications.
Rekha also won the prestigious AUSIT (a national translating body) first runner-up award in Australia, for translating 13 aboriginal animation films ”˜The Dreaming’ in Hindi.
She feels greatly honoured by this invitation and hopes that once the bridge or the link has been formed many more writers will be recognised and invited by the Akademi in the years to come.
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