Mamang Dai, a celebrated poet from Arunachal Pradesh, will be the Poet Laureate of the 14th Tata Literature Live. Her poetry, influenced by her Adi tribe’s oral tradition and the natural landscape, is gentle, melodious, and poignant.
Dai’s works, including River Poems, The Balm of Time, Midsummer Survival Lyrics, and Hambreelmai’s Loom, reflect the rhythms of her Adi tribe and the natural landscape. Despite acknowledging political realities and unease, her poetry is always filled with hope and love.
Mamang Dai’s poetry, encompassing all aspects of life in the Northeast, is not harsh or opaque. It is a gift to students and readers, providing accessible verse that illuminates the natural and cultural beauty of the region, thereby shifting the image of conflict and militancy often associated with the region. Accepting the Poet Laureateship for Tata Literature Live! The Mumbai LitFest 2023, Mamang Dai said: “I think it is wonderful that Tata Literature Live! Mumbai literature festival celebrates poetry. I feel honoured, and inspired”.
