POET SUMMARY
Linda Ashok is the 2017 Charles Wallace India Fellow in Creative Writing (Poetry) at the University of Chichester, UK. Her poems and reviews have appeared in several publications, online and in print, including The McNeese Review, Axolotl, Skylight 47, Vinyl, The Big Bridge Anthology of Contemporary Indian Poets, Mascara Literary Review, The Rumpus, Stirring – A Sundress Publication, Entropy and others. In 2014, Linda was invited to read and conduct poetry workshops by Poetry with Prakriti – the Hindu Lit for Life in Chennai, followed by an invitation to the 12th International Poetry Encounter by the University of Carabobo in Valencia. In Hyderabad, in 2014, Linda read her works at the Kavi Sangamam Poetry Festival and at the Sarojini Naidu Vanitha Mahavidyalaya, as their Guest of Honour, celebrating the 134th birthday of poet Sarojini Naidu. In 2015, Linda’s work was selected for a workshop with the poet Arthur Sze at the Napa Valley Writers’ Conference, SF, US, and at PEN Prithvi, Mumbai. In 2016 and 2018, Linda was invited to read at the Kala Ghoda Festival of the Arts. Linda is the Founder/President of RædLeaf Foundation for Poetry & Allied Arts and sponsors the annual RL Poetry Award (since 2013). She is also the founding editor of the Best Indian Poetry (BIP) and Director at RLFPA Editions.
[Written in third person for editorial requests]
Author of whorelight, 2012 | Amazon.com, Book Depository, Barnes & Noble, hawakal.com
Winner of the 2017 Charles Wallace India Trust fellowship in Creative Writing (poetry) at the University of Chichester, UK.
Publications (Online/print) 2018
Three Women | Contemporary Verses 2 (CV2) (Print)
Cruel Interventions and other poems | The Punch
End Means | Cultural Weekly
Killing Moths | Cultural Weekly
Tongue Tied | Cultural Weekly
We Two Women can Father a Child | The Common (Print)
When we talk about a Dead Dear, Promises We Make | Crab Orchard Review (Print)
2017
Becoming a Rice Pot | The Common
Glass Kids of Firozabad | Noble Gas Quarterly
Chandrani | Noble Gas Quarterly
2016
If Water is a Synonym for Women | Honest Ulsterman
The Number You are Dialing Doesn’t Exist | Skylight 47 (print)
Portrait of Guilt, A Hive Deep in the Bone, Ben Hickman Loves Birds | The McNeese Review (print)
To the Methodist | Entropy-Enclave
The Finishing Touch | Entropy-Enclave
The Craft of Belonging | Entropy-Enclave
Wood, Coal & Fire | Vinyl
We are not Guilty | About Place Journal
Letter to the Bunion Toed Man | Mascara Literary Review
Of Waters, Manners | Mascara Literary Review
2015
On his Second Marriage | Big Bridge Anthology of Contemporary Indian Poetry
Hard Water | Big Bridge Anthology of Contemporary Indian Poetry
Decomposing a Sonnet | Café Dissensus
The Voodoo Eye He Doodled on My Wound | Café Dissensus
A Detail in the Fire Escape | Jalada Africa, Language Anthology
Antarabhava | Axolotl (print)
The Colour of my Chin on your Shoulder | Axolotl (print)
I tell you no Jihad can change the course of river | Friends Journal
Ends are like Fruits | Kritya Journal
Her Lipstick Got Fungus, I don’t remember her Face | Kritya Journal
Hymn for the man by Periyar | Visual Verse
An Apology in My Fluorescent Pink Bra | Visual Verse
The Gun on your Lips | Visual Verse
Sketch of an Abandoned Journey | Visual Verse
A Thought Otherwise | Visual Verse
Lorem Ipsum | The Shot Glass Journal
2014
Dogs | Poetry Kanto
The Goosebumps on Rabbit’s Neck in Clear Wrap | CUNY Murphy Institute, Blog
The Whale in His Body Becomes Snow | Hark Magazine
The Caged Bird Sings | The Lake
For Maya (Angelou) | The Lake
Dark Snow | The Linnet’s Wings
Husk | The Thumbprint Magazine
Incinerate | The Thumbprint Magazine
Miscarriage | The Thumbprint Magazine
2013
Haiku , Annual Selection | Mainichi Daily, Japan
Anthologies
2017
Sahitya Akademi Modern English Poetry | Sahitya Akademi (upcoming)
2016
40 under 40- Poetry of Post-Globalization India | Poetrywala, India (ISBN 978-9382749448)
2015
Love without Borders | Nivasini Publisher
2014
Celebrating India | Nivasini Publisher
Bhasanagar | Ed. Subodh Sarkar, West Bengal
Epitaphs India | The Poetry Society of India
2013
World Haiku Anthology | World Haiku Association, Japan (ISBN 978-4-87944-203-1)
Books Reviewed
2016
Set the garden on Fire by Chen Chen | The Rumpus
UNION: 50 Years of Writing from Singapore and 15 Years of Drunken Boat Ed. Alvin Pang and Ravi Shankar | The Rumpus
2015
Deeds of Light by Hao Guang | The Entropy
What’s Pink and Shiny by Sarah Boyle | Sundress Publication
Kingdom and After by Megan Fernandez | The Rumpus
Habitation by Sam Hamill | The Rumpus
2014
A Strange Place other than Earlobes by 5 Malayali Poets | Café Dissensus
Secret Letters by j/j hastain | rlpoetry.org
A Detail in the Landscape by Sandy Marchetti | rlpoetry.org
Echo Location by Mani Rao | rlpoetry.org
Ten Thousand Waves by Wang Ping | rlpoetry.org
Readings/Recognition
2018
Featured at Words tell Stories | Mumbai
Book Talk (whorelight) | PEN, Mumbai
Building Literary Communities & Mini Mehfil | Kala Ghoda Festival of Arts, Mumbai, India
Le Sutra Poetry Festival | Mumbai
2017
Featured Readings at Paris Lit Up | Paris, France
Featured Readings at the University of Chichester | West Sussex, UK
2016
Hope Street Poets | Kala Ghoda Festival of Arts, Mumbai, India
November Rain | PEN, Mumbai
2015
And Still the Rise: Poetry by Women in India, Hyderabad | US Consulate of Hyderabad & RædLeaf Foundation for Poetry & Allied Arts
The Writer’s Carnival, Hyderabad | Nivasisni Publishers, Hyderabad
2014
Featured Poet at The Hindu Lit Fest 2014 | Prakriti Foundation
Apparao Gallery, Chennai with Alvin Pang | Prakriti Foundation
Alliance Francais, Chennai | Prakriti Foundation
British Council, Chennai | Prakriti Foundation
Guest of Honour at Sarojini Naidu Birth Centenary | Sarojini Naidu Maha Vidyalaya (University), Abids, AndhraPradesh
Guest of Honour & Chair at a Haiku Conference | SIES College of Science & Arts, Mumbai
Guest poet & Moderator of a Panel on Indian English Poetry | Kavi Sangamam Poetry Festival, Golden Threshold, Abids, Andhra Pradesh
Workshops
2017
Thanking the Inanimate- 2 hours workshop for Malika’s Kitchen | The Poetry Society, London
2016
POETRY LAUNCHPAD: 2-day introductory poetry workshop for 50 hi-school students of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Jaipur, Rajasthan
2014
Kids Central, Chennai (4-8) Workshop on Haiku | The Hindu Lit Fest by Prakriti Foundation
MGR Janaki Women’s College, Chennai, Talk on Modern Poetry | The Hindu Lit Fest by Prakriti Foundation
SDNV Vaishnav College, Chennai, Talk on Placing Poetry First | The Hindu Lit Fest by Prakriti Foundation
Chettinad Hari Shree Vidyalayam, Chennai, Introduction to Poetry | The Hindu Lit Fest by Prakriti Foundation
2013
Beginner’s Introduction to Short Poetry Forms (All Classes) | Mosaica International
Beginner’s Introduction to Short Poetry Forms (All Classes) | The Delhi Public School
Interviews/Mentions
2018
The New Indian Express: City of Bards: Eminent poets who settled down in Hyderabad
Scroll.in: Five newly published poets reveal new directions for Indian poetry in English
2017
The Asian Age: Bibliomania, Biblioboom: Best Books of 2017 by Sudeep Sen
Mid-Day: Poetic justice is here
The Hindu Business Line: Breathless Verses
The Citizen: Whorelight: The Prostitution of Light to Rescue Us From our Darkness
2016
Firstpost.com: Listen: From Mihir Vatsa to Linda Ashok, six poets under 40 recite their poems on post-globalization
Strong Letters: Interview with Linda Ashok
2015
Martini & More: Poetry Extracts Everything Leaving Me To My Flesh And Bones
The Literary Hub: #Actual AsianPoets; A celebration of Asian & American Poetry
The Hindu: Singing and celebrating the body and soul
The Hindu: Poetry readings and poetic evenings
The Hindu: Empowering Poetry
The Hindu: Every nanosecond is an experience
The New Indian Express: Raising Kids Right!
The New Indian Express: A hand on the meter of Hyderabad
2014
Voice of Tibet: Tibetan Poet-Activist Meets Chinese and Indian Poets
The Times of India: Playing with poetry
Community: RÆDLEAF FOUNDATION FOR POETRY & ALLIED ARTS
Founder/President | Sponsors the annual RL Poetry Award (since 2013)
Publisher of RLFPA Editions (Award Winning manuscripts)
rlpoetry.org | thepoetrymail.com | Twitter | Facebook
2017
Judge & Sponsor the IIT Kharagpur’s Annual Springfest National Slam Poetry Competition. Jan 22-23
TRANSATLANTIC POETRY Reading with Robert Peake: Featuring Jennifer Robertson & Vinita Agrawal, facilitated on air by The Poetry Mail
2014
Poetry Peacemeal, bridging borders between Tibet and China, Readings by Wang Ping, Tenzin Tsundue and Linda Ashok at IIC Annex, New Delhi
Reading by Wang Ping, Chinese American Poet and Medha Patkar, River Activist at India International Centre, New Delhi
Reading by Tenzin Tsundue, Tibetan Activist and Poet at Our Sacred Space, Telangana
Reading by Mani Rao, Jennifer Robertson, Christopher Staudinger, Rochelle Potkar, Oliver St. John and Wang Ping at ITC Kakatiya, Telangana
