Naishapur and Babylon

Twelve years of poems—vigorous, wise and memorable—from our newest Poet Laureate and giant of Indian letters. ‘Over the course of Keki Daruwalla’s long career, some things have stayed the same: a vertical view of history that plunges across centuries and mythologies, an epic canvas rendered in minute detail, and a narrative engine that never stops ticking. What has changed is a tonal quality. Early poems that drip with scorn segue into the lovely late lyrics, with their grudging acceptance of mo