IIC Hosts Discussion on Poet-Diplomat Abhay K’s The Alphabets of Africa

May 03, 2026

New Delhi, May 03 (ANI): The India International Centre hosted a discussion on Ambassador Abhay K.’s latest book The Alphabets of Africa on May 2 in New Delhi. The session included a conversation with Professor Siddharth Mallavarapu of Shiv Nadar University and was attended by diplomats, experts, research scholars and students. Poet-Diplomat Abhay K shared his creative and intellectual journey across Africa captured in 180 poems that seek to reimagine the continent. Published earlier this year by Penguin Random House India, the book is described as a “poetic atlas” of Africa mapping the vast continent from A to Z. Each letter opens a window into Africa’s rich past and vibrant present, introducing readers to iconic figures, landmarks, and cultural milestones. Speakers and attendees at the session unanimously praised Ambassador Abhay K. for his powerful and insightful portrayal of Africa through poetry. Inspired by Abhay K’s wide-ranging journeys across Africa, the poems push back against long-held stereotypes and encourage readers to see the continent anew rich in depth, complexity and beauty. Through The Alphabets of Africa, Abhay K. doesn’t just map a continent he redefines how we see it. Not through headlines or history alone, but through rhythm, memory, and imagination.