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The Alphabets of Africa

Modern Poetry on Africa | A Cultural and Literary Exploration of the Continent in Verse

Abhay K.
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The Alphabets of Africa is an ode to a continent that continues to define the human journey. Through time, space and memory, these poems map Africa, celebrating its vast and vibrant tapestry. From the splendour of its ancient civilization to the pulse of contemporary African cities, to inspiring icons and leaders, this book summons Africa in all its depth and glory. Drawn from Abhay K.’s travels across the continent, these poems are an invitation to shed the inherited stereotypes and see Africa afresh.

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The Alphabets of Africa

Modern Poetry on Africa | A Cultural and Literary Exploration of the Continent in Verse

Abhay K.

The Alphabets of Africa is an ode to a continent that continues to define the human journey. Through time, space and memory, these poems map Africa, celebrating its vast and vibrant tapestry. From the splendour of its ancient civilization to the pulse of contemporary African cities, to inspiring icons and leaders, this book summons Africa in all its depth and glory. Drawn from Abhay K.’s travels across the continent, these poems are an invitation to shed the inherited stereotypes and see Africa afresh.

Abhay K.

Abhay K. is an internationally acclaimed poet-diplomat, translator, artist and polymath. Author of over a dozen poetry collections, he has edited several landmark anthologies such as The Book of Bihari Literature, The Bloomsbury Book of Great Indian Love Poems, Capitals, New Brazilian Poems and The Bloomsbury Anthology of Great Indian Poems. His poems have appeared in leading literary magazines across the globe in multiple languages. His ‘Earth Anthem,’ translated into over 160 languages has been used by the United Nations to celebrate Earth Day. He received the SAARC Literary Award (2013) and was invited to record his poems at the Library of Congress, USA, in 2018. His translations of Kalidasa’s Meghadutam and Ritusamharam from the Sanskrit won him the KLF Poetry Book of the Year Award (2020–21), and his translation of the Hanuman Chalisa from the Awadhi earned him the Sarojini Naidu Poetry Award (2026). His translation of the Magahi novel Fool Bahadur has been published as a modern classic by Penguin Random House.
His poetry collections, historical nonfiction, anthologies, and translations are widely catalogued in leading academic libraries and research networks, including those of Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Columbia, and the University of Pennsylvania. His works are also held by national libraries around the world, including the Library of Congress.
His art works have been exhibited in several countries including at the National Museum, New Delhi.

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A Poetic Journey Across the Continent | The Alphabets of Africa

In The Alphabets of Africa, Abhay K. turns poetry into a map of the continent, tracing its civilizations, cities and cultural icons. Read an excerpt below.     *** Shaka Zulu A military tactician, a songwriter, a music composer, all combined in one I often inspired my people with music and songs I had a […]

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