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A Celebration of World Poetry, Linguistic Diversity, Translation, and Cultural Unity
10 Sept 2026: The international multilingual poetry anthology Beyond the Language, Vol. III was officially launched through a virtual event hosted on Microsoft Teams, bringing together distinguished poets, editors, translators, scholars, and literary enthusiasts from different countries and cultures. The online gathering celebrated linguistic diversity, literary collaboration, and the enduring power of poetry to connect people across geographical, cultural, and linguistic boundaries.
The virtual format enabled participants from multiple countries to join the celebration, reflecting the very spirit of the anthology itself: bringing diverse voices together beyond borders, languages, and distances. Through literary discussions, poetry readings, reflections, and cultural exchanges, the event became a vibrant international forum dedicated to promoting friendship, understanding, and peace through literature.
The programme was gracefully moderated by Dr. hon.c. Xanthi Hondrou-Hill, renowned Greek poet, literary scholar, cultural ambassador Dr. Hondrou-Hill also served as the editor of the Greek section of the first volume of the Beyond the Language series.
The event was honoured by the presence of Chief Guest Dr. Hanan Awwad, distinguished Palestinian poet, author, cultural leader, advocate, and former Cultural Adviser to President Yasser Arafat. Through her literary and cultural work, Dr. Awwad has long championed freedom, justice, human dignity, and the promotion of Palestinian culture on the global stage.
The Guests of Honour were Dr. Usha Mujoo Munshi, eminent scholar, poet, Fulbright Scholar, and former President of the Information and Communication Society of India, and Professor Bhagat Oinam, internationally acclaimed philosopher and academic from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, whose work on indigenous philosophy, ethics, and culture has earned global recognition.
The welcome address was delivered by Misna Chanu, Compiler, Editor-in-Chief of the Beyond the Language series, and Editor of the Manipuri Section. Reflecting on the journey of the anthology since its inception in 2021, she shared the vision behind the project and its growth into a platform for global literary exchange.
“Beyond the Language is more than a collection of writings. It is a celebration of diversity, creativity, friendship, and cultural exchange. It reminds us that while our languages may differ, our stories, dreams, and emotions connect us as one Earth, one human family,” she said.
Since the beginning of this literary journey in 2021, the series has successfully brought together poetry in eighteen languages from around the world, including Manipuri, with every poem accompanied by an English translation. The languages featured in the first and second volumes included Greek, Italian, Spanish, Polish, German, Turkish, Hindi, Kurdish, Catalan, Bengali, and Manipuri.
Continuing this vision, Beyond the Language, Vol. III presents poetry in Manipuri, Arabic, Malayalam, Russian, Sindhi, Nepali, and Bodo, each accompanied by an English translation that allows readers from different backgrounds to engage with the works.
In his brief address, Dr. Ashraf Aboul-Yazid praised the remarkable effort of poet and editor Misna Chanu in creating and nurturing the Beyond the Language anthology. He described the growth of the project as being like witnessing the birth of a small child—from the moment of giving it a name, through its gradual development, to the long-awaited moment of its birth. Dr. Aboul-Yazid also highlighted the special significance of the presence of Chief Guest Dr. Hanan Awwad, who this year was honoured as Personality of the Year by the Silk Road Literature Series. He noted that the translation of her book In the Navel of the Self has been nominated for the World Organization of Writers (WOW) Award in the Prose category, with the results to be announced during the ceremony in Moscow on 18 September 2026.
The event also offered an opportunity to celebrate the success of poet and scholar Dr. Xanthi Hondrou-Hill and the fifth edition of her literary festival, held in Greece, the birthplace of Aristotle. The successful festival further reflected her sustained commitment to promoting poetry, intercultural dialogue, and international literary exchange, bringing together voices from different cultures in the spirit of friendship and shared human creativity.
As Compiler and Editor-in-Chief of all three volumes and Editor of the Manipuri section, Misna Chanu acknowledged the contributions of the distinguished editorial team:
- Misna Chanu – Manipuri Section
- Dr. Ashraf Aboul-Yazid – Arabic Section
- K. Jayakumar – Malayalam Section
- Eldar Akhadov – Russian Section
- Mohini Hingorani – Sindhi Section
- Bidhan Acharya – Nepali Section
- Anjalee Basumatary – Bodo Section
She noted that working with editors from different linguistic traditions had opened new doors of consciousness in her literary journey and had become a deeply enriching experience.
Several editors participated in the launch event, including Dr. Ashraf Aboul-Yazid, acclaimed Egyptian poet, novelist, translator, journalist, and Secretary General of the Congress of African Journalists; Mohini Hingorani, renowned Sindhi poet and translator; Bidhan Acharya, respected Nepali poet, lyricist, and academic; and Anjalee Basumatary, celebrated Bodo poet, academician, editor, and Sahitya Akademi Award recipient.
Speaking about the essence of the project, Misna Chanu explained her choice of poetry as the connecting force behind the anthology.
“I chose poetry because I think poetry is the most delicate yet powerful form of language. Translation, on the other hand, is creating a new poem while keeping the soul of the original poetry.”
Highlighting the importance of literary translation, she added:
“If the poet is the soul of poetry, then the translator is the heart of poetry.”
She emphasized that the anthology celebrates not only poets from different languages, cultures, and countries but also translators who serve as bridges between languages, cultures, and people.
The virtual launch featured poetry readings by distinguished contributors representing different literary traditions:
- Dr. Vinod Asudani (Sindhi), Sahitya Akademi Award-winning poet, translator, psychologist, and academic.
- Rajkumari Indira Devi (Manipuri), bilingual poet, educator, and former Vice Principal of Maharaja Bodhchandra College.
- Ms. Savita Gautam Dahal (Nepali), acclaimed contemporary Nepali poet and recipient of several literary awards.
- Rashmi Choudhury (Bodo), Sahitya Akademi Award-winning poet known for her powerful feminist voice.
Among the notable poets and literary personalities attending the event were Thingnam Parshuram and Dr. O. Usharani Singha from the Manipuri literary community, as well as Shanti Basumatary, Dr. Phukan Basumatary, and Bijit Goyary, representing Bodo literature.
During the Vote of Thanks, Misna Chanu expressed her heartfelt gratitude to everyone who contributed to the success of the anthology and the virtual launch.
She described the book as more than a collection of poetry from different languages, calling it “a gathering of voices, a gathering of poets, translators, and friends of literature who responded to my call, believed in this vision, and trusted me to carry their words across linguistic and cultural borders.”
She extended her sincere appreciation to Chief Guest Dr. Hanan Awwad, Guests of Honour Dr. Usha Mujoo Munshi and Professor Bhagat Oinam, and all members of the editorial team, including K. Jayakumar, Dr. Ashraf Aboul-Yazid, Eldar Akhadov, Mohini Hingorani, Bidhan Acharya, and Anjalee Basumatary.
Special thanks were also offered to the poets who presented their works and represented their languages during the event: Dr. Vinod Asudani, Ms. Savita Gautam Dahal, Rashmi Choudhury, and Rajkumari Indira Devi.
Acknowledging the role of translators, she noted that their dedication had enabled literary voices to reach new readers and new horizons, making a project of this nature possible.
Misna Chanu also thanked all contributing poets, supporters, friends of literature, and readers who continue to view poetry as a force for understanding, friendship, and peace. She expressed her hope that the anthology would continue to inspire meaningful connections across nations, cultures, and languages.
Looking to the future, she reaffirmed her vision of bringing together more languages, more poets, and more voices from around the world, continuing the Beyond the Language series as a platform for intercultural understanding, literary exchange, and global friendship.
The successful virtual launch of Beyond the Language, Vol. III demonstrated how literature and technology can work together to create meaningful international connections. By bringing together participants from different continents on a single digital platform, the event embodied the anthology’s mission of promoting unity through poetry.
The programme concluded with a message that captured the spirit of the anthology and its global vision:
“May Poetry Unite People.
May Poetry Unite Nations.
May Poetry Break Every Wall Between Human Hearts and Between Nations.”
About Beyond the Language
Beyond the Language is an international multilingual poetry anthology series conceived, compiled, and edited by Misna Chanu. Since 2021, the series has brought together poets, translators, and editors from around the world, presenting poems in their original languages alongside English translations. The anthology serves as a platform for literary diversity, intercultural dialogue, and global friendship through the universal language of poetry.
