Gitanjali Reviews

‘Gitanjali is a love poem, not only to a higher being, but also to the concept of what it means to be in love. With delicate woodcuts by Anagh Banerjee and an insightful intro by acclaimed author Amit Chaudhuri, this is the ultimate edition of a poem that forever changed the poetic canon.’

1. Sinéad O'Callaghan, Fiction Editor, The Folio Society

Navigating themes of divine love, relationships, life’s turbulances and moments of peace, Gitanjali is a baptism of classic poetry and Bengali culture. This new illustrated edition by Folio places a spotlight on an essential work that helped to expand the canon of modern poetry beyond the western plains and introduced audiences to one of the most important writers in 20th century literature.Often referred to as ‘The Shakespeare of the East’, Rabindranath Tagore is a central figure in Bengali and Indian history, reshaping art and literature through his poems, novels, short stories and plays. His captivating style is treasured for its hypnotic rhythms, striking imagery and overflow of the soul – gorgeously captured by artist Anagh Banerjee's delicate woodcuts scattered throughout Folio’s edition. In his introduction, novelist Amit Chaudhuri not only explores Tagore’s writings in relation to the text itself, but also responds to the Gitanjali’s original 1913 introduction by W. B. Yeats, further contextualising the title’s history and nuances for new and old readers alike.