Korean edition of Assam poet Manoj Barpujari’s ‘Riparian Silence’ launched at Dibrugarh University

A Korean translation of Manoj Barpujari’s poetry collection Riparian Silence was released at Dibrugarh University, marking a significant effort to take contemporary literature from Northeast India to an international readership.

The launch, hosted by the university’s Office of International Affairs, featured Korean poet, translator, and art critic Seok Yong Chang as Chief Guest. Chang, a prominent voice in Seoul’s cultural circles, translated a selection of Barpujari’s poems for the edition published by Panchajanya.

Addressing attendees, Chang said the project was driven by the universality he found in Barpujari’s work and his wish to present Korean readers with literary perspectives from Assam and the wider region.

Barpujari, based in Guwahati, is known for his contributions to film criticism and journalism, alongside his literary output. After more than thirty years in the newsroom, including a senior editorial role, he moved full-time into film research and writing in 2015.

His bibliography spans twenty titles, with six focused on cinema, and he has played a key role in India’s film society movement.

He received the Golden Lotus for Best Film Critic at the 2011 National Film Awards and is a founder trustee of the Indian Film Critics Association. He has been associated with FIPRESCI since 2007.