Chandigarh, 09.05.26:General VP Malik (retd), unveiled two books of poetry by Alka Kansra in the presence of many eminent personalities of the city.

After retiring from MCM DAV College as teacher of chemistry, she has devoted herself in penning literary works very frequently and these books are additions to her repertoire.

The Hindi book, Main Hun Swayamsidha, published by Srishti Prakashan, and Seasons Within (Ferntree Publishing) were released.

Ranjana Malik, wife of General Malik, was in conversation with Alka who explored many facets of Alka's writings.

Indian Express Resident Editor Manraj Grewal, Dr Manmohan Singh, Chairperson, Chandigarh Sahitya Academy, and author and legal luminary Dr Balram Gupta, author and TEDx speaker Vivek Atray, and theatre director Vijay Kapoor, spoke about Alka's writings.

The launch marks a rare literary event where an Indian poet releases parallel works in both languages, exploring how emotion, memory, and identity translate — and transform — across linguistic lines.

“Hindi is my heartbeat. English is my horizon,” said Alka Kansra, addressing the gathering. “These books are not translations of each other. They are two conversations with the same world. One speaks from the gali, the other from the window seat.

A collection of poems spanning themes of loneliness, womanhood, resilience the book uses spare, modern verse to document “the quiet rebellions of everyday life.” Critics have noted its “unflinching gaze and musical clarity.”

India’s literary market often treats Hindi and English as separate silos. Kansra’s dual release challenges that divide, positioning bilingual authorship as cultural bridge-building.

Many celebrated writers including Ajay Sharma, Simi Hans, Vimal Kalia, Daman Duggal, Nisha Luthra, Ravindra Tandon, Neeru Chugh, Suneet Nmadan recited Alka's poetry from the two books, on this occasion.