Engal Mannum Itha Nalkalum

As the traditional poetry reading spaces were occupied by populist poetry. M.A.Nuhmaan introduced a new experimental form of poetry event in the Jaffna university. The first event titled 'Political poems - a poetry event' took place in 1981 with an audience of thirty people. Multiple voices reading poetry in a dramatized tone created an impact in the literary society. Events about harathi, Palestinian poems followed that. Apart from poets and writers, students took part in the events as well. Going beyond the university campus, its impact lead the poetry event titled 'Our land and these days' was staged in more than sixty villages in the north of Srilanka. The text of that poetry event is getting published as a book for the first time, with an introduction by poet Akilan. It tells us the story of a moment in history three decades back, with lessons about how to take poetry to the masses.