Celebrate National Poetry Month at this event in Mumbai

A performer plays the harp

April - the month of dust, the beginning of summer, the time when butterflies flutter and daffodils burst into colours. The month of April has been romanticised by countless poets, artists and painters across languages and continents. It inspires art and is commemorated as National Poetry Month in the US. To celebrate the passion and yearning associated with April, Live! At the Library is back with their third edition that will be presenting an amalgam of prose, poetry and dance.

The setting makes for an intimate gig. Pics/Sharon Irani

The edition focuses on the theme of ‘Saudade', an untranslatable word in Portuguese, connoting deep melancholy or nostalgia for something or someone, an unrequited love that is lost and will never return. The dreamy wistfulness of the word compliments the month of flowers. Poets from across the city are invited to participate in an open mic session based on the theme.

Ramya Rao

The event will see performances by art writer and columnist Rosalyn D'Mello. She will read from her first non-fiction book, A Handbook for My Lover, and also share some new writings that haven't been released yet. Ramya Rao will be presenting an experimental fusion of Kuchipudi and belly dancing. "For me, the lover is an inspiration and a source of joy, and the two songs that I've chosen depict the same," shares Rao. She believes that the audience will be surprised because this fusion is distinct, as is the music she has chosen to perform on.

José Neil Gomes

Jose Neil Gomes, a Mumbai-based multi-instrumentalist, has shared the stage with top commercial acts and has performed at festivals, events and concerts in more than 100 cities across the world. Supplementing the theme will be an instrumental performance by him, where he'll be playing the violin to end the evening on a soulful note.