Jyoti Sinha, Lucknow

CATEGORY- HT writer Choice Award 2017 Jyoti Sinha has devoted herself to promote arts and culture as she believes it teaches you ‘shahoor’ or the ‘art of living aesthetically’.

A reputed Urdu and Hindi poetess from Lucknow, she has featured in mushairas and kavi sammelans at Lucknow Mahotsava and Raj Bhavan. She started dabbling as a college student in Jabalpur, but her love affair with Urdu poetry began after moving to Lucknow after marriage. She learnt to read and write this beautiful language to savour and promote Lucknow’s unique culture. During her stay in the UK, she gathered quite a fan following as a featured poetess on BBC’s Sunrise Radio and Sab Rang Radio, and recited at the Bharat Bhawan on the invitation of UK Hindi Samiti. Her debut poetry book ‘Ankahe Ehsaas’ featured her unique philosophy of life, nature, romance and relationships. Her ghazals, Hindi kavita, geet and dohe have been published globally. Jyoti has collaborated on musical renderings of her poetry with noted singer Malini Awasthi, Sufi singer Indira and with renowned kathak dancer Akanksha Shrivastava.

To promote arts and culture, she has organised mushairas like ‘Yaad-e-Noor’ (in memory of her ustaad). She also organises cultural workshops (in poetry, theatre, music and dance) for women and children of all social strata, through her two NGOs “Mansi” and “Helping Hearts Foundation”. Her immense love for the arts has inspired many people.