Connecting Across Borders (CAB), a brainchild of the well-known and award-winning English poet, short story writer and English Language Trainer Ms. Hema Ravi, is a poetic initiative of three empowered, like-minded women from diverse backgrounds with a common love - poetry.

CAB is helmed by Ms. Hema Ravi as the Secretary, Dr. Sridevi Selvaraj, a renowned English & Tamil poet and the Principal of the Chevalier T Thomas Elizabeth College for Women (CTTE College for Women), Chennai, India as the Vice President and Yours Truly Paddy as the President. Though still in its infancy, CAB is well-known to poets across nationalities who have always supported our poetry initiatives!

So far, we at CAB and CTTE College for Women have organized in 2021, an International Poetry Conference and a Women’s Day International Poetry Conference. And this year on 23 March, 2022, an International Poetry Conference.

Ah, what a great evening it was on 23 March, 2022 of excellent English poetry, of genial warmth and of meaningful poetic interactions and camaraderie! And where else could these be possible, except at the International Poetry Conference on the theme NATION, organized by CAB and the CTTE College for Women, Chennai, India helmed by Dr. Sridevi Selvaraj, Principal, ably supported by Prof. Beena Thomas, HoD and Prof. Saraswathy Ramalingam, both from the Department of English of her College!

On 23 March 2022, CAB in association with CTTE College for Women, organized an International Poetry Conference online that was graced by such eminent poets as Dr. Varsha Das (India) as the Chief Guest, and Mr. Daya Dissanayake (Sri Lanka), Mr. Shreekumar Varma (India) and Mr. Shiju H. Pallithazheth (Sultanate of Oman) as the Guests of Honour. Besides, we at CAB, were truly honoured by the august presence of such eminent poets as Mr. Gino Leineweber (Germany), Ms. Alicja Maria Kuberska (Poland) and Dr. Sigma Sathish (India).

Internationally renowned poets Dr. Varsha Das, Chief Guest and the Guests of Honour Mr. Daya Dissanayake, Mr. Shreekumar Varma and Mr. Shiju H. Pallithazheth shared their valuable thoughts though their brief yet impactful speeches. Their address was followed by a reading of their superbly penned and powerful poem on the theme of NATION.

Later, poet after poet presented their thought-provoking and engaging poems, putting forth their interesting ideas on NATION.

The Conference was superbly interwoven by Ms. Raeesah Roshan, a Post-graduate student of English at the CTTE College through her excellent anchoring. Ms. Jovita Rexy, another Post-graduate student of English from the College, conducted a lively Question & Answer session with the poets who patiently answered the questions posed by the students of English Literature at the College. This Q & A Session by the students, was ably steered by Prof. Beena Thomas and Prof. Saraswathy Ramalingam.

In the concluding session of the Conference that also included an open interaction between poets who were also invited to share their thoughts on the Conference, Ms. Hema Ravi presented a quick and succinct analysis of the poems read at the Conference and later, proposed a Vote of Thanks.

We at CAB, acknowledge with gratitude the seamless tech. support provided by the CTTE College for Women, enabling yet again a memorable International Poetry Conference on 23 Match, 2022.

All in all, it was a wonderful evening of great poetry, and lively and friendly poetic interactions! And we at CAB as always, are happy to have acted as a literary bridge between the international poets of repute and the students of CTTE College for Women.

Delighted to share the poster and the YouTube link to view the CTTE College-CAB International Poetry Conference-2022:

youtu.be/DcrxC-WWszc