An Evening with Downstream

Meet the Author Poetry, Memory and a Conversation Across Forty-Seven Years An intimate literary evening with Sukumaran Menon Downstream — Poems and Reflections Across Forty-Seven Years is an unusual literary journey that began with 45 poems written by a young engineer between 1978 and 1980. After remaining unpublished for nearly half a century, the poems were rediscovered by their author, Sukumaran Menon, at the age of 72. What began as an effort to preserve those early writings gradually evolved into a conversation between the young man who wrote them and the older man revisiting them forty-seven years later. Each poem is presented through a distinctive four-part structure: Before the Poem, which recalls its original circumstances; The Manuscript, which preserves the young poet’s voice; Walking Beside the River, which offers the author’s reflections today; and A Reader’s Reflection, which introduces an independent perspective. The resulting book is as much about memory, ageing, understanding and self-discovery as it is about poetry. Rather than a conventional commercial book launch, the evening will be a personal celebration of the journey behind the book. It will feature selected poetry readings, an informal conversation with the author, an illustration of the book’s four-part architecture, and an opportunity for guests to share their thoughts. The conversation will be facilitated by the author’s friend, Deepa. There is no registration required to attend; feel free to walk in.