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As we stand at the threshold of 2025, we face a world in constant flux—where challenges and uncertainties remain ever-present. Yet, it is during these times of trial that the true power of human resilience, creativity, and collective effort comes to the forefront. At the Writers Capital International Foundation, we are keenly aware of the role that literature, art, and shared wisdom play in navigating these complexities and offering solutions to the global crises we face.

In 2024, the world has been challenged by growing divisions, political unrest, environmental degradation, and the continued struggle for equality and justice. These challenges have affected our communities and, indeed, the very fabric of our shared humanity. It is a reality that we, as members of the global creative community, must acknowledge and address head-on.

As an organization dedicated to the promotion of humanitarian values through literature, the upcoming year demands more than just celebration—it calls for action. We must not only create art but also engage in dialogues that foster understanding, compassion, and positive change. The written word, in all its forms, can be a tool for healing, a bridge across divides, and a light in the darkest times. It is imperative that we use our collective voices to challenge injustice, promote sustainability, and advocate for the voiceless.

The Writers Capital International Foundation will continue to stand firm in our mission to support voices that challenge the status quo, promote social progress, and inspire generations to come. In 2025, we will focus on:

• Expanding our initiatives to reach marginalized communities, ensuring that all voices—regardless of background or circumstance—are heard and valued.
• Addressing the ongoing climate crisis through the lens of literature and art, seeking sustainable solutions that are not only environmentally sound but also deeply humane.
• Strengthening global collaboration among writers, artists, educators, and thought leaders to form lasting partnerships that transcend borders and contribute to lasting peace and understanding.

We are now more powerful in reaching grassroots levels through our Global Nexus Series of International Conferences, which brings together academicians from across the world to discuss pressing issues, exchange ideas, and gather visionaries who seek actionable solutions. These conferences are a critical platform for global collaboration, where we can work together to address challenges and shape a better future for all.

This year, we are also proud to have the Nexus Review, an international journal of multidisciplinary studies available in both print and online formats. This journal will serve as a vital space for scholarly discussion, offering diverse perspectives on key issues facing our world today. It is through these academic and intellectual endeavors that we can cultivate meaningful change, grounded in knowledge, dialogue, and innovation.

Let us use this year to reinvigorate our collective commitment to a world where human dignity is upheld, where diversity is celebrated, and where every individual has the opportunity to contribute to the betterment of society. We stand at the crossroads of a new era—one that demands action, empathy, and purpose.

On behalf of the entire Writers Capital International Foundation family, I extend my heartfelt thanks to all our supporters, whose unwavering belief in our mission and tireless dedication continue to propel us forward. Your commitment to our vision is invaluable, and we look forward to achieving greater heights together.

As we enter 2025, I urge each of us to reflect on the power of our words and the responsibility that comes with them. Let us be the change we seek, and together, create a future that honors our shared humanity.

Happy New Year 2025.

With deep respect,

 Preeth Padmanabhan Nambiar
Founder & CEO, Writers Capital International Foundation,
Writers International Edition & Global Nexus Series of International Conferences 
Founder & Chairman, Panorama International Arts & Literature Festival 

Plato, in his dialogue Timaeus, mentions that plants were created to help humans survive. Aristotle also, in his treatise On the Soul, stated that the soul is characterized by its capacities for nourishment, sensation, intellect, and movement. Of these, plants possess only the capacity for nourishment. While Aristotle emphasizes the shared mental foundation of all living beings, he assigns a more biological significance to the soul of plants compared to Plato’s more philosophical reference.

Plato’s mention of the senses and desires of plants, combined with Neoplatonism, triggered a spiritual understanding of plants within the philosophy and literature of Romanticism. In literature, myth, and even in daily life, plants are emotionally and ideologically charged.

The idea that plants correspond to an archetype or express and reveal a divine presence in nature was central to the literature and philosophy of Romanticism. Transitioning from Romanticism to Modernism, we find Baudelaire, the poet of anti-nature — not in the sense of opposing nature, but rather in his search for the beauty of evil in nature, as the title of his collection The Flowers of Evil suggests. Baudelaire’s poetry also marks the shift from nature to the urban environment. In one of his notes, Baudelaire writes that “the dizzying sensation one feels in a big city is proportional to what one experiences in the midst of nature.”

However, while Baudelaire still portrays a harmonious relationship between the world of nature and the city, a defining characteristic of Modernism is the rupture between humans and nature. T.S. Eliot’s, “The Waste Land”, is regarded in ecocritical studies as a harbinger of the ecological crisis we face today. According to Elizabeth Black, The Waste Land presents a society alienated from nature and on the brink of environmental collapse. “April is the cruellest month,” Eliot writes, as the rebirth of new life revives painful memories buried beneath the snow. The traumatic feeling of a lost past and the painful disconnect from nature can also be observed in some works by Seferis.

It is notable that although Ecocriticism has gained significant traction in European and global studies, it has not been fully utilized in contemporary Greek literature. Ecocriticism is a burgeoning field formed through the collaboration of environmental science, literature, and the arts. The terms ecology and ecocriticism describe this new relationship between art and nature, often connected to issues related to the global ecological crisis.

Ecocriticism examines the relationship between humans and the natural world in literature. It explores how environmental issues, cultural perspectives on the environment, and attitudes toward nature are presented and analyzed. One of the main goals of ecocriticism is to study how individuals in society react to and behave towards nature and ecological concerns. This form of criticism has garnered much attention in recent years due to the increased societal focus on environmental degradation and technological advancement.

Ecocriticism first emerged as a major theoretical movement in the 1990s, aiming to relate literature to the natural environment with the hope that action could be taken against climate change and the destruction of natural habitats. Ecocriticism has a strong ethical component, as the reading of literature is intended to inspire political activism and drive real-world change.

Literary texts can help us realize how humans exploit nature for their own purposes, while also allowing us to fully appreciate the beauty of our environment. They describe the beauty of the natural world, encouraging us to immerse ourselves in nature. Ecocriticism is the result of this new awareness: that soon there may be nothing left in nature to celebrate unless we act carefully.

Ecocritics analyze the human perception of wilderness, how it has evolved over time, and whether or not contemporary environmental issues are accurately depicted in popular culture and modern literature. Other disciplines, such as history, economics, philosophy, ethics, and psychology, are also considered by ecocritics to contribute to this field.

Ecocriticism is interdisciplinary, calling for collaboration between scientists, writers, literary critics, anthropologists, historians, and others. It challenges us to reflect on ourselves and the world around us, critiquing how we represent, interact with, and construct the environment. Approaching a topic from an ecocritical perspective means asking questions not only about a primary literary text but also about broader cultural attitudes toward nature. In this way, ecocriticism brings new dimensions to the analysis and interpretation of literary works and cultural narratives.

Sofia Skleida
Teacher, Writer, MA, Ph.D, Postdoc ,
Academic Director Poetry Department of International Art Institute Europe (International Academy MAQ-IAMAQ)

REFERENCES

Bressler C., Literary criticism: an introduction to theory and practice, (a second printing), March 2011. 

Donn K.,  «Beyond the Wasteland: An Ecocritical Reading of Modernist Trauma Literature», στο Handbook of Ecocriticism and Cultural Ecology, επιμ. Hubert Zapf, Walter de Gruyter, Βερολίνο 2016. 

Glotfelty C. &   Fromm H.,   The Ecocriticism Reader: Landmarks in Literary Ecology, University of Georgia 1996.

Hume A., «Imagining Ecopoetics: An interview with Robert Hass, Brenda Hilman, Evelyn Reilly, and Jonathan Skinner», Interdisciplinary Studies in Literature and Environment, 19/4, 2012, 751-766. 

Hume Α. &  Osborne G., «Ecopoetics as Expanded Critical Practice. An Introduction», στο Ecopoetics: Essays in the Field, University of Iowa Press, Άιοβα 2018. 

Iovino S., Ecocriticism and Italy: Ecology, Resistance, and Liberation , Bloomsbury Academic, 2016.

Kirkby M., A Victorian Flower Dictionary: The Language of Flowers Companion, with an introduction by Vanessa Diffenbaugh, Random House Publishing Group, Νέα Υόρκη 2011.  

Leaky F.W., Baudelaire and Nature, Manchester University Press, Mάντσεστερ 1969.  

Mosley P.,  «Introduction», στο Maurice Maeterlinck, The Intelligence of Flowers, μετάφραση και εισαγωγή Philip Mosley, State University of New York, Nέα Υόρκη 2008.

Πλάτων., Τίμαιος, Eισαγωγή, Mετάφραση, Σχόλια Βασίλης Κάλφας, Βιβλιοπωλείον της «Εστίας», 2013.

Salabè C.,Ecocritica. La letteratura e la crisi del pianeta ,Donzelli Editore, 2013.

About the Author

Sofia Skleida was born in Athens. She studied Philology at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens where she obtained her BA, MA in Pedagogy, Ph.D in Comparative Pedagogy and a postdoctoral research certificate. She also obtained a certification in the Braille language. Today she works as a teacher in secondary education. She took part in conferences and published articles in the Greek and international scientific journals and in conference papers. She was awarded for her participation in poetry and literary contests in Greece and abroad. Her poems have been translated into Italian, English, Spanish, Albanian, Romanian and Bangla. She has published a total of twenty books. She is Vice-President of the Zakynthian Cultural Institute, Member of the jury for new members of the Association of Greek Writers, a regular member at the Panhellenic Union of Writers and at the Association of Greek Writers.

Αξιότιμες Κυρίες και Κύριοι,

Πολίτες του Κόσμου, Διανοητές και αγωνιούντες για την μοίρα του όμορφου αλλά και ετοιμόρροπου κόσμου μας.

Είναι άριστος οιωνός η σύναξη από όλον σχεδόν το κόσμο, τόσων ανθρώπων του πνεύματος και των τεχνών, εδώ, κάτω από το Ιερό Βράχο της Ακρόπολης των Αθηνών, υπό τη Σκέπη της Θεάς Αθηνάς και υπό την Σκιά της Μωρίας Ελαίας, του Ιερού δένδρου, που η Θεά της Σοφίας επέλεξε και φύτεψε στα προπύλαια του Ναού Της.

Φαντάζει σαν μια ενδόμυχη δέσμευση και υπόσχεση για τη δημιουργία της νέας αμφικτιονίας των Ανθρώπων του Φωτός και της αρμονίας, με σκοπό, την απελευθέρωση, του όλο και περισσότερο σκλαβοποιούμενου Ανθρώπου, από τα αγενή πάθη του και την επιστροφή του στην κατά φύση τροχιά του.

Το ποίημα που θα σας απαγγείλω αποτελεί για μένα μια προβολή της Συμπαντικής Νόησης και της εντελέχειας που συνυπάρχει σ’ αυτή, που ανατάσσει τόσο τον Άνθρωπο, όσο και κάθε Ον και διατάσσει κάθε ενέργειά τους, προς την επίτευξη της τελειότητας.

Αναφέρεται από τον ΗΣΙΟΔΟ:
Πρώτα υπήρξε το χάος και ύστερα η Μητέρα Γη, η ευρύστερνη. Και μετά ο ΕΡΩΣ, ο πρώτος μεταξύ όλων των Θεών, αιώνιο και σταθερό θεμέλιο της Φύσης όλης.

Και επιβεβαιώνει ο ΠΑΡΜΕΝΙΔΗΣ:
«Ο ΕΡΩΣ διατάσσει τις ακατάλυτες κοσμικές δυνάμεις και οδηγεί τα πάντα, πρώτα τον Άνθρωπο, προς την τελειότητα με τη δική του όμως Ελεύθερη Βούληση και την αέναη και αδήριτη πάλη του.»

Τα ίδια αναφέρονται από τον ΑΓΚΝΙ, τη Βεδική Θεότητα που προσωποποιεί τον εξαγνισμό του Ανθρώπου, και μέσα από την Πάλη και τη θυσία, γεφυρώνει τον ορατό και τον Θείο κόσμο.

Ο ΙΝΤΡΑ επίσης, Ινδική Θεότης, ασκεί την κυριαρχία του στον Θείο Κόσμο, δια της θανάτωσης του ΒΙΤΡΑ, του Δράκοντα που παρεμποδίζει τα νερά να κυλίσουν πάνω στη Γη.

Η ροή των υδάτων είναι το σύμβολο της παγκόσμιας ζωής, σηματοδοτεί δηλαδή, την ζωτική δύναμη διά της οποίας η Φύση και το Σύμπαν, παράγουν ζωή και την ανατάσσουν πέρα από κάθε όριο.

Οι παραπάνω εκδοχή αναδεικνύει τις ομοιότητες των δύο πολιτισμών.

Του Ελληνικού ΛΟΓΟΥ και του ΛΟΓΟΥ των Λαών της Ανατολής. Διακρίνω μία απελευθερωτική διάσταση, τόσο του Ελληνικού ΛΟΓΟΥ, όσο και του Λόγου των Λαών της Ανατολής διά της Αγάπης, και του κώδικα της αλληλεγγύης μεταξύ των όντων.

Αλλά και του ΕΡΩΤΑ των σωμάτων, του ονομαζόμενου ΕΡΩΤΑ της Αφροδίτης, ο οποίος τελειούμενος ανατάσσεται σε Ουράνιο Έρωτα. Έρωτα δημιουργίας και υπέρβασης κάθε άβατου.

Αυτοί οι δύο πολιτισμοί κρύβουν μέσα τους τις δυνάμεις για την σωτηρία και την ανάταξη του ψυχορραγούντος κόσμου μας. Αναδεικνύουν τον μονόδρομο κατανόησης των αγέννητων Νόμων της Φυσικής και Συμπαντικής Τάξης. Τη θερμοκοιτίδα μέσα στην οποία συντελείται η γήινη ζωή, και η ζωή του Ανθρώπου, μέχρις ότου ο ΕΡΩΣ την ανατάξει σε ανώτερη και Ουράνια.

Εάν αυτή η κατανόηση δεν επιτευχθεί, μέσα από την αναζήτηση της μαγείας της Φυσικής και Συμπαντικής Τάξης, και του ΕΡΩΤΑ, του θαύματος της ζωής και του ΛΟΓΟΥ ύπαρξής μας, η ίδια η Φύση θα μας αποβάλλει στη χωματερή των ανέραστων και αχρείων, του παραλογισμού και της αυτοκτονίας, όπως την κατέγραψε ο ΑΛΜΠΕΡΤ ΚΑΜΥ και έλαβε το Βραβείο Νόμπελ.

Ο κόσμος μας θα πληρώσει το τίμημα, ίσως και τίμημα νύχτας αιώνων, μέσα από την οποία θα αναδειχθεί ο καινούργιος Γιος της Δημιουργίας, απαλλαγμένος από την κατάθλιψη του παραλόγου και της Αυτοκτονίας.
Ο Έρωτας θα ανθίσει και θα παράγει Σίσυφους, Λεωνίδες, Σπάρτακους, ΑΓΚΝΙ και ΙΝΤΡΑ, αλλά και Μερόπες, Πηνελόπες και Παναγίες Μάνες.

Δίπολα ερωτικά που θα οδηγήσουν τον Άνθρωπο σε όλο και πιο φωτεινές κορυφές, στα όρια της Επικράτειας των Θεών.

Ας αναγνωρίσουν αυτοί οι πολιτισμοί της ομοιότητές τους και ας διοχετεύσουν τα εξαγνιστήρια νερά τους στην ίδια κοίτη. Η ορμή αυτού του ποταμού θα γίνει καθαρτήρια φωτιά εξαγνισμού, του βυθιζόμενου στο τέλμα κόσμου μας.

Θεόδωρος Δάλμαρης

English Translation

Ladies and Gentlemen, Citizens of the World, Thinkers, and those concerned about the fate of our beautiful yet precarious world.

It is an excellent omen that so many people of intellect and the arts have gathered here from almost all over the world, under the Sacred Rock of the Acropolis of Athens, under the Protection of Goddess Athena, and in the Shadow of the Olive Tree of Wisdom, the Sacred tree that the Goddess of Wisdom chose and planted at the entrance of Her Temple.

This gathering appears like an implicit commitment and promises to create a new Amphictyony of the People of Light and Harmony, with the purpose of liberating the increasingly enslaved Human Being from his unworthy passions and guiding him back to his natural path.

As mentioned by HESIOD: First there was chaos and then Mother Earth, the broad-bosomed. And after that, EROS, the first among all the Gods, eternal and steady foundation of all Nature. And PARMENIDES confirms: “EROS commands the indestructible cosmic forces and leads everything, first and foremost Man, towards perfection with his own Free Will and his endless and relentless struggle.”

The same is mentioned by AGNI, the Vedic Deity who personifies the purification of Man, and through Struggle and sacrifice, bridges the visible and the Divine world. INDRA, too, the Indian Deity, exercises his dominion over the Divine World by slaying VITRA, the Dragon that prevents the waters from flowing over the Earth. The flow of waters is the symbol of universal life, signifying the vital force by which Nature and the Universe produce life and elevate it beyond all limits. The above versions highlight the similarities between the two cultures: That of Greek LOGOS and the LOGOS of the Peoples of the East. I discern a liberating dimension in both the Greek LOGOS and the Logos of the Peoples of the East through Love and the code of solidarity among beings. And also the LOVE between two bodies, called the LOVE of Aphrodite, which, in its perfection, ascends to Heavenly Love. A Love of creation and the transcendence of every inviolable barrier.

These two cultures harbour within them the forces for the salvation and elevation of our dying world. They reveal the only path to understanding the unborn Laws of Physical and Universal Order. The incubator within which earthly life, and the life of Man, is accomplished, until EROS elevates it to a higher and Heavenly state.

If this understanding is not achieved, through the search for the magic of Physical and Universal Order, and of EROS, the miracle of life and the LOGOS, our existence will cast us into the wasteland of the loveless and the vile, into irrationality and suicide, as recorded by ALBERT CAMUS, who received the Nobel Prize.

Our world will pay the price, perhaps even the price of an age-long dark night, from which the new Son of Creation will emerge, free from the depression of absurdity and Suicide. Love will blossom and produce Sisyphus, Leonidas, Spartacus, AGNI, and INDRA, but also Merope, Penelope, and Virgin Mothers. Erotic pairs that will lead Man to ever more luminous peaks, to the borders of the Realm of the Gods. Let these two cultures recognize their similarities and channel their purifying waters into the same stream. The force of this river will become a cleansing fire of purification for our world, which is sinking into the mire.

Theodoros Dalmaris

Kerala, often hailed as “God’s Own Country,” is not the paradise it’s often romanticized to be. Instead, it’s a state torn by the tumultuous reign of violent Communists and pseudo-secular Congress leaders — a place where educated youth find themselves trapped in a cycle of despair. Faced with limited opportunities and a bleak future, many are forced to abandon their homeland in search of greener pastures, leaving behind a population that relies on humble livelihoods such as driving autorickshaws to make ends meet.

One among them was Ratheesh a youth who like many others drove an autorickshaws to find his livelhood. His autorickshaw was more than just a means of transport; it was a symbol of hope for his family — a lifeline in a world fraught with uncertainty. But one fateful day in September 2014, the threads of their lives unraveled before their eyes.

Ratheesh was accused of a crime he never committed — a robbery that shook the town to its core. The weight of false accusations bore down on his shoulders as he was dragged away by the very hands meant to protect him. Behind the cold, steel bars of a prison cell, he endured unimaginable suffering — both physical and emotional — as he was subjected to the cruelty of injustice.

As Ratheesh languished in captivity, his family’s world crumbled around them. His wife, burdened with the weight of shame and fear, struggled to make ends meet, while their children grappled with the harsh reality of their father’s absence. Days turned into weeks, and weeks into months, yet there seemed to be no end in sight to their suffering.

But just when hope seemed lost, a glimmer of light appeared on the horizon. In 2020, the truth came to light — an unexpected confession unveiled the innocence that had been buried beneath layers of deceit and corruption. With the weight of false accusations lifted from his shoulders, Ratheesh emerged from the darkness of his captivity, his spirit bruised and broken.

Yet, as he stepped back into the embrace of his family, he realized that the scars of his ordeal ran deep. The trauma of his wrongful imprisonment lingered like a shadow, casting a long shadow over their once bright future. After enduring years of pain and injustice, Ratheesh’s spirit could bear no more — overwhelmed by the relentless onslaught of despair, he made a decision to end his life, to escape the clutches of a system that had failed him at every turn. And as he took his final breath, he became yet another victim of a ruthless police department and a court system that questioned the very meaning of innocence.

The incident is not just an isolated one. Statistics paint a damning picture of the state of India’s prisons, revealing that a staggering 68 percent of inmates are mere undertrials — individuals who have not been convicted by any court of law. Among them, a disproportionate number hail from the socio-economically marginalized sections of society, with more than 65 percent belonging to the SC, ST, and OBC categories. Illiterate and barely literate, they stand at the mercy of a system that has long turned a blind eye to their plight.

This isn’t a new phenomenon. For decades, Indian jails have been inundated with the cries of the innocent, their voices drowned out by the cacophony of corruption and negligence. Forty years ago, the Supreme Court issued a scathing indictment of the prevailing state of affairs, deeming the high prevalence of undertrials in jails a “crying shame on the judicial system.” Yet, despite the passage of time, the plight of these forgotten souls has only worsened, with their numbers swelling year after year.

In 1978, undertrials accounted for 54 percent of India’s inmate population. By 2017, this figure had risen to a staggering 68 percent, a grim testament to the failure of the system to uphold the principles of justice and fairness. And while the Indian judicial system espouses the principle of “innocent until proven guilty,” the reality is far removed from this lofty ideal.

For the majority of undertrial prisoners, the road to justice is fraught with insurmountable obstacles. Illiterate and impoverished, they lack the means to secure bail or avail themselves of competent legal representation. As a result, they languish in jail for years, their lives on hold as they await the elusive promise of a fair trial.

But who is responsible for this travesty of justice? The answer lies in the very structure and functioning of the justice delivery system itself — a system that lacks the accountability to rectify its own failures. In countries like the US, the UK, and Germany, laws exist to compensate individuals for miscarriages of justice. Yet, in India, the victims of wrongful imprisonment are left to fend for themselves, their sense of justice forever shattered by years spent behind bars.

In the eyes of society, an undertrial prisoner is no different than a convict, their innocence tarnished by the damning finger of public opinion. For them, imprisonment is not just a deprivation of liberty, but a stain on their very humanity — a mark that society refuses to erase.

As the sun sets on another day in Kerala, the cries of the innocent echo through the corridors of India’s prisons, a poignant reminder of the urgent need for reform. It is time for the voices of the voiceless to be heard, for justice to be served, and for the promise of a better tomorrow to become a reality for all. The question is who is the real killer of Ratheesh? The rotten system of judiciary in India, the inhuman department of poilice in Kerala or a society that includes even the one who write this?

Social media is a giant neon sign that flashes continuously, ‘LOOK AT ME,’ while it saps our time and leaves us empty-handed. – Nir Eyal

Being in the Writers Capital Foundation and its subsidiaries, where we communicate with hundreds of writers from across the world, we have an opportunity to read a number of works on a daily basis and mostly through social media. While some of the works create strong impressions, some of the works not only fail to exhibit greater standards but also leave a shock on how social media interferes with quality in literary works.

In the age of social media, it has become increasingly common for writers to post their literary works on platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. While this may seem like a convenient way to share one’s writing with a wider audience, the reality is that the quality of literature is often lost in the pursuit of likes, shares, and comments.

Many writers post their work on social media simply for the dopamine boost of receiving validation from others. In doing so, they often sacrifice the time and effort necessary to produce high-quality writing. The result is an oversaturation of mediocre content, drowning out the truly exceptional works of literature.

Compounding this issue are the fake Facebook organizations that have sprung up, purporting to support and promote literary works. In reality, these organizations are often fronts for self-promotion or outright scams, preying on the hopes and dreams of aspiring writers.

The effects of social media on quality literature are significant. By prioritizing likes and shares over quality writing, we risk losing the very essence of what makes literature great – its ability to transport us to other worlds, to challenge our assumptions and beliefs, and to evoke strong emotions within us.

It is crucial that we take steps to combat this trend. We must encourage writers to prioritize the quality of their work over the immediate gratification of social media validation. We must also be vigilant in identifying and exposing fake literary organizations that seek to exploit the literary community.

At the same time, we should not dismiss social media entirely. When used responsibly and in conjunction with traditional literary channels, social media can be a powerful tool for promoting high-quality literature and engaging with readers in meaningful ways.

Social media can have negative effects on the quality of literature and the industry as a whole. The emphasis on quick, easily-digestible content can lead to a decrease in attention spans and a preference for shorter, simpler works. Additionally, the pressure to constantly produce content for social media can lead to a focus on quantity over quality, and the proliferation of fake organizations and online scams can further erode trust in the industry.

A writer may not be a great influencer, however, an influencer can intelligently act as a great writer with the so-called technologies of branding and communication skills. However, the fact is that ultimately, only quality works remain here and the rest will be eventually discarded.  Like that of the Sanskrit phrase ‘Satyameva Jayate’, which means “Truth alone triumphs,” only quality literary works would prevail in the ever-changing sphere of literature.

We must recognize the dangers that social media poses to quality literature, while also embracing its potential to support and elevate literary works. I eanestly believe that by striking a balance between the two, we can ensure that the literary community thrives in the digital age.

Preeth Padmanabhan Nambiar
Author-Poet, Educationist & Humanitarian
President & CEO, Writers Capital International Foundation
preethpadmanabhannambiar@gmail.com

I love you without knowing how, or when, or where from.
I love you straightforwardly, without complications or pride;
This is how I love you because I know no other way of loving than this:
But in this way in which neither I, nor you exist; so close that your hand
on my chest is my hand, so close that your eyes close as I fall asleep.
Pablo Neruda – 100 Love Sonnets

Love is the ultimate drive, the most powerful force in the whole universe, for, since the beginning of time, Love has been the driving force behind all creation – first and foremost, the creation of man himself. Ancient Greek philosopher, the first to delve into this existential issue being Hesiod, maintained the following depicting concepts, qualities and notions as gods. And the god of love was, of course, Eros:

According to the Hesiodic interpretation, the creation of the world is based on a divine trinity – Chaos, Gaia and Eros. Chaos pre-exists the other two, symbolizing the infinity of the universe. Gaia symbolizes the material side of the world. Finally, Eros symbolizes creation. Eros is the driving force. Without him, the primordial trinity would not have created the world, the gods and life. The reason he is winged is that he is elusive. When you think you have caught him, he slips away. Eros has no interest if you are in chaos or order. He is lonely and likes games. Throwing an arrow does not necessarily mean that a second will follow. Love unites, transforms and transforms what is seen. As long as you do not look for him, because he will disappoint you. He will find you and then all your chaos will make sense again.”[1]

It is indeed so! Love is the reason for our coming into this world, besides the force that helps sustain us in our everyday lives. When we surrender to love, we find a way of overcoming problems and worries, since sorrows that are shared with the beloved one are halved and joys shared are doubled. Love puts a permanent grin on our face, makes our eyes sparkle with a divine gleam, and sets our hearts on fire. If we surrender to love, our whole life makes sense, for it is the reason why we were born – to spread the light of love upon this planet. Loving another like your own self and even more is so difficult and easy at the same time, so bitter and sweet, so utterly rewarding for the soul. Selfless and unconditional love is unique and almighty! Love is the power that can even “move mountains”… Love is all someone needs to make everything shine wonderfully all around, and also make it through any difficult phase one may encounter. It is undeniably the essential element that leads to bliss. If not the sole one.

Among the sweetest and most profound quotes on Love, I hereby enclose some actual smidgens of wisdom and truth by the classical Masters of philosophy:

Those that are hardest to love, need it the most – Socrates

The madness of love is the greatest of heaven’s blessings – Plato

Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies – Aristotle

and the famous quote by the ancient Greek Philosopher Plato, dedicated to poets across the world

“Αt the touch of love, everyone becomes a poet!”

Love for some people is a feeling, for others, it is a condition or a state; yet for some, it is a way of living. For them, life is what Wu Ti has said, namely “Not loving is like a long dying”; a life not worth living, one might add. Love should not be demonstrated only on one particular day, but throughout the whole year; all through one’s life. As for when real Love comes into one’s life, no one actually knows when one would feel the arrows of Love piercing their hearts, as Eros, the playful assistant of the goddess of Love and beauty, Aphrodite, plays his tricks. For some people Love comes too soon, for others a little later; for a few maybe a lot later. Yet when it finally does come, they all feel the same bitter-sweet pain and all suffer sweetly by the arrow-tip that has pierced their soul. And only one person can take away the pain, healing the wound: the only ONE.

If this is real Love, it is not only intense, but also profound, and destined to be eternal. On infinite and eternal Love a lot has been said and written all through the centuries all over the world. The symbols may vary, but they are undoubtedly diachronic and well-engraved in the collective mind. From the apple, the rose, and the sea shell in ancient Greek and later on in Roman mythology, the harp and the unbreakable Celtic love knot, the jasmine in the Himalayas, the Claddagh symbol in Norse mythology, the Kokopelli (musical instrument) in the native American culture, the maple leaf and the unbreakable red thread of fate in China and Japan, the Osram Ne Nsoromma (the symbol of a star and half moon) in West Africa, are among the most famous symbols of love across centuries; bearing witness of the infinite feelings and the pledge for eternal love to their precious one. One thing is certain, anyway, despite symbols and legends, which run through millennia: that between the beloved, no place, no time, or other boundaries are enough to make them part…

Volumes of literary works, from fairy tales to grandiose novels, have been written on princesses waiting for their princes, queens waiting for their kings or their knights to return from the battlefield, and ladies of the aristocracy courting in the palace gardens. The troubadours of the Middle Ages sang their love songs to their dames, Romeo and Juliet sacrificed themselves for their love, while whole cities were besieged and conquered in the name – or the pretext – of a woman’s love; or at least that is what Homer says on ancient Greek queen Helen and prince Paris of Troy. Equally, masterpieces were painted or sculpted in honour of Eros and the goddess Aphrodite…

Poetry is, anyway, the supreme Art, according to ancient philosophers. And what better way to express one’s innermost feelings than with a poem full of love and a kiss? Besides, as the saying goes, “in love and at war there simply exist no barriers”. And since we are humanitarians and advocates of world peace, let us all make the wish for all barriers to be taken down in the name of Love!

Prof. Irene Doura Kavadia

Leading Victorian writer Elizabeth Barrett Browning is as known for her enduring love for Robert Browning (immortalised in their letters to each other) as she is for her lyrical Romantic poetry. After her mother’s death in 1828, Barrett Browning moved with her father from the family estate in Herefordshire, first to Devon and then to London. There, her cousin, John Kenyon, introduced her to many of the leading writers of the day, including Coleridge, Wordsworth and Tennyson. For her mid-teens, Barrett Browning had suffered from a mysterious illness that resulted in severe headaches and limited mobility, but she directed all of her energy in writing the outstandingly beautiful poems for which she became famous. In 1844, Barrett Brownings’collection Poems brought her public acclaim and also to the notice of Robert Browning, a young poet, who began corresponding with her. The couple finally met in 1845 and their courtship began in earnest, although it was carried out secretly.

The couple had a profound influence on each other’s writing and their love for each other is revealed in the lovely letters they exchanged with each other, even after their marriage. They honeymooned in Paris and then made their home in Italy, where they resided until Barrett Browning’s death on 29 June 1861. She died in her husband’s arms.

‘I have no words for you, my dearest … You are mine, I am yours’

Sunday.

I have no words for you, my dearest, – I shall never have – You are mine, I am yours. Now, here is one sign of what I said: that I must love you more than at first… a little sign, and to be looked narrowly for or it escapes me, but then the increase it shows can only be little, so very little now…

At first I only thought of being happy in you, – in your happiness: now I most think of you in the dark hours that must come – I shall grow old with you, and die with you – as far as I can look into the night I see the light with me: and surely with that provision of comfort one should turn with fresh joy and renewed sense of security to the sunny middle of the day, – I am in the full sunshine now, – and after, all seems cared for – is it too homely an illustration if I say the day’s visit is not crossed by uncertainties as to the return thro’ the wild country at nightfall?

Now Keats speaks of “Beauty – that must die – and Joy whose hand is ever at his lips, bidding farewell.” And who spoke of – looking up into the eyes and asking “And how long will you love us”? – There is a Beauty that will not die, a Joy that bids no farewell, dear dearest eyes that will love forever! And I – am to love no longer than I can – Well, dear – and when I can no longer – you will not blame me? – you will do only as ever, kindly and justly, – hardly more: I do not pretend to say I have chosen to put my fancy to such an experiment, and consider how that is to happen, and what measures ought to be taken in the emergency – because in the “universality of my sympathies” I certainly number a very lively one with my own heart and soul, and cannot amuse myself by such a spectacle as their supposed extinction or paralysis, – there is no doubt I should be an object for the deepest commiseration of you or any more fortunate human being: – and I hope that because such a calamity does not obtrude itself on me as a thing to be prayed against, it is no less duly implied with all the other visitations from which no humanity can be altogether exempt – just as God bids us ask for the continuance of the “daily bread”, – “battle, murder and sudden death” lie behind doubtless – I repeat, and perhaps in so doing, only give one more example of the instantaneous conversion of that indignation we bestow in another’s case, into wonderful lenity when it becomes our own, … that I only contemplate the possibility you make me recognize, with pity, and fear … no anger at all, – and imprecations of vengeance, for what? – Observe, I only speak of cases possible; of sudden impotency of mind, – that is possible – there are other ways of “changing”, “ceasing to love” &c which it is safest not to think of nor believe in…

And now, love, dear heart of my heart, my own, only Ba – see no more – see what I am, what God in his constant mercy ordinarily grants to those who have, as I, received already so much, – much, past expression! It is but … if you will so please – at worst, forestalling the one or two years, for my sake; for you will be as sure of me one day as I can be now of myself – and why not now be sure? See, love – a year is gone by – we were in one relation when you wrote at the end of a letter “Do not say I do not tire you” (by writing) – “I am sure I do” – A year has gone by – Did you tire me then? Now, you tell me what is told; for my sake, sweet, let the few years go by, – we are married – and my arms are round you, and my face touches yours, and I am asking you, “Were you not to me, in that dim beginning of 1846, a joy beyond all joys, a life added to and transforming mine, the good I choose from all the possible gifts of God on this earth, for which I seem to have lived, – which accepting, I thankfully step aside and let the rest get what they can, – of what, it is very likely, they esteem more – for why should my eye be evil because God’s is good, – why should I grudge that, giving them, I do believe, infinitely less, he gives them a content in the inferior good and belief in its worth – I should have wished that further concession, that illusion as I believe it, for their sakes – but I cannot undervalue my own treasure and so scant the only tribute of mere gratitude which is in my power to pay.” – Hear this said now before the few years, and believe in it now, for then, dearest!”