The Library is indispensable for authors and a gathering place for sharing, reflected poet Madhu Varshney at a launch of her most recent book of poems, Uthati Hilorein, at the Asian Library. Notable guests who attended the event included the extended Varshney family, Shri Ravi Shankar Aisola, the Consul General of India, members of the Library’s Advisory Board along with emeriti and faculty members from UBC’s Department of Asian Studies and the UBC Library. Varshney, an active member of the South Asian community in Vancouver, has published eight other books focused on religion, spirituality, and folk songs, all available in the Asian Library. During the book launch, Varshney read a selection of her poems in Hindi and members of her family read the same passages in English translation for the audience. Mrs. Varshney along with her husband, Hari, have a deep connection with UBC as volunteers and generous supporters. This commitment is also shared by their three children who are all UBC alumni.
During the event, Varshney was interviewed by University Librarian Ingrid Parent and shared her thoughts on her inspirations and writing process. Language is not a barrier, Varshney noted, adding that she strives to capture family values, societal harmony and the beauty of nature in her works. Asked what advice she would provide young writers—she passionately noted that it was important to write and practice your craft daily. The event concluded with a Hindi community reading led by local poets and hosted by the Asian Library staff.
As one of the top Asian research libraries in North America, the Asian Library is renowned for its extensive collection of South Asian languages with 70,000 volumes in Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi, Sanskrit and other dialects. To find out more about the revitalization of the Asian Library’s physical space, visit startanevolution.ubc.ca/projects/asian-library.
This story originally appeared in the 2013 Friends newsletter.