POL

We receive questions every time before publishing the POL, asking why we focus on prose poetry.

I would say prose poetry is nothing new, but it evolves as our lives change. People are becoming more realistic, facing true challenges in everyday life. Poetry is not separate from our daily existence. We feel and absorb, we see and experience, we taste and consume; we decorate our environment and our lifestyle. Prose poetry, or free verse, is like an open tennis court without a net-yet there is still rhythm, choice of words, theme, and mindfulness that give it the essence of a poem. Of course, it follows a different pattern, distinguishing it from traditional poetry. I would describe it as a straight-line, prosaic poem without the flavour of verses.

That said, we have also included some short stories in this issue. The storytellers have put in tremendous effort to create something unique for the POL. POL is committed to breaking traditions and paving a new path for writers.

For the first time, POL will publish a supplement within this edition. Poet and writer Subrata Kumar Das is our honourable guest this time. We are deeply grateful for his contribution and the opportunity to include research articles about his work. Readers will also have the chance to explore Das's brand-new writings.

Additionally, we have published some translated works alongside original content in English. A huge thank you to poet, writer, and translator Swapan Nath, who has contributed translations for POL for the first time, and to Shuvra Bhowmic, who translated two stories from Bengali for this issue. Dr Gauranga Mohanta consistently dedicates his valuable time to POL, helping make it extraordinary. Special thanks to David Lee Morgan and Ashoke Kar, whose support and inspiration mean so much to us. Louise Whyburd is undoubtedly a passionate member of the POL team, and her ideas and expertise have helped shape POL into something truly exceptional.