India International Centre (IIC), one of the country’s premier cultural institutions, hosted a thought-provoking book discussion on The Silent Whispers: Voice of the Muffled Melodies by poet Misna Chanu. The event took place at Conference Room-I of the Centre and drew literary enthusiasts and scholars alike.
Published by Authorspress Publishing House in 2023, The Silent Whispers is Misna’s third poetry collection in English. A bilingual poet from Assam, now based in Gurgaon, Misna Chanu writes in both Manipuri and English. Her work has been translated into thirteen international languages and featured in global anthologies and magazines.
The panel was chaired by Amarendra Khatua, retired diplomat and former Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs, India and ex-Director General of ICCR. He was joined by Prof. Malashri Lal, Convenor of the English Advisory Board at Sahitya Akademi and former Dean at the University of Delhi; Prof. Payal Nagpal, Professor of English at Janki Devi Memorial College, University of Delhi; and the author herself, Misna Chanu.
Misna Chanu, a bilingual poet from Assam now residing in Gurugram, writes in both Manipuri and English. Her work has been translated into thirteen languages and featured in international anthologies and magazines.
The discussion delved into the emotional and thematic depth of Misna’s poetry, which explores love, loss, grief, longing, and the human quest for peace.
Prof. Lal highlighted the fluidity of themes in Misna’s poetry, noting how motifs of war, love, and human relationships seamlessly blend. “A romantic poem may also reflect love for the land, while a dream poem can carry political undertones,” she remarked.
Prof. Nagpal emphasized the universal resonance of Misna’s work. “Her poems contemplate pain that transcends the personal, existing at a global level. They remind us of the idealism and sensitivity we’ve lost, urging us to reclaim our ability to empathize,” she said.
In her address, Misna Chanu described The Silent Whispers as a collective voice of silenced souls. “It is the melody of unsung songs, diffused across layers of time and space,” she shared.
Chairing the session, Amarendra Khatua praised the poet’s nuanced exploration of life, love, and human connection. He noted that her final lines often encapsulate profound meaning, wrapped in femininity and sentiment He remarked on the richness of Misna’s closing lines, describing them as “selective, sentimental, and deeply expressive.”
The event underscored the power of poetry to reflect and heal, leaving the audience with a renewed appreciation for the written word.
