Arz Hai — When Six Young Voices Found Their Symphony in Prayagraj

On an October evening in 2017, the city of Prayagraj (then Allahabad) became the stage for something rare and refreshing — the launch of Arz Hai, an anthology of poems woven together by six spirited young writers. What began as an experiment in a workshop on becoming a published author blossomed into a book brimming with verses of love, longing, laughter, patriotism, and quiet reflections on life.

The launch on October 13 drew a vibrant audience of poets, professors, and dreamers. The presence of renowned figures like Prof. Sonjoy Dutta Roy, Prof. A. A. Fatmi, Prof. Lalit Joshi, and poet Yash Malviya gave the evening a sense of gravitas. Yet, it was the youthful freshness of Arz Hai that carried the night. Prof. Dutta Roy beautifully called the anthology “a symphony of six youthful minds with imagination and creativity,” while Prof. Fatmi celebrated the endeavor with a couplet in Urdu, underlining the cultural richness of the occasion.

The book brought together six distinct voices — Alisha Phillips, Aastha Singh (the youngest of the lot), Sehar Siddiqui, Shlok Ranjan Srivastava, Ahmed Khan, and Mohammad Yahiya. Each poem felt like an entry into a shared treasure chest of emotions: the kind of thoughts people often carry quietly within, now spoken aloud through words and rhythm. Whether it was a tender love poem, a stirring patriotic verse, or a bittersweet reflection, the anthology offered readers not just poems but pieces of themselves.

At the launch, the authors took turns reading their work, their words filling the room with an energy both raw and intimate. Ahmed Khan traced the book’s journey in a heartfelt presentation, recounting how an idea became a manuscript and, finally, a published work in the hands of readers. As the evening unfolded, it felt less like a formal book launch and more like a celebration — of youth, of creativity, and of courage to speak one’s truth.

Arz Hai authors from left to write: Aastha, Shlok, Elwin, Sehar, Yahiya, and Alisha

In many ways, Arz Hai was more than a book; it was a reminder that poetry continues to thrive, evolve, and connect. That night in Prayagraj, six young poets proved that sometimes the simplest act of saying arz hai — “here it is” — can echo louder than expected, reaching hearts far beyond the city where it was born.