Nithya Maryam John’s new book of poems is an ode for kitchen

Kitchen poems by Nithya Maryam John | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Nithya Maryam John’s small, crisp verses are the freshness of alida, cut mangoes, salty-spontaneous tang of mango and lacesey apps in sunrise. Poet, translator and Assistant Professor of English at BCM College, Kottayam, says his new poem collection is inspired by his maternal grandfather. Nithy Kitchen poems, Published by Red River and recently released, there is a collection of verses, memories and cuisine.

Nithya does not claim to be a Pakistani researcher or a food specialist; In fact, he began cooking only as a routine recently in his life. “It is after going out five years ago that I started searching for the site of the kitchen on my own. And I am glad that this place is equally shared by my husband and eight -year -old, ”she says.

Nithya’s poems are confused with their own family history with food, and she keeps the kitchen at the center of her book. While Appachan (her grandfather who is dedicated to the book), preferred to spend time in the kitchen, the kitchen still has a penis space, she notes. She is a place in the kitchen where the female conversation took place. He used to live in the kitchen all his life. In joint families, especially, it was where women collected, where hot discussion, gossip and mysteries, laughing for day recipes, exchange of all among chopping, stir Was done. Nithya sees the kitchen where women have found themselves, also forged bonds with equipment like fridge.

,Every secret containers are stuck inside

And tin of different sizes and sizes,

Closed with cream and white lid… ” She writes in the poem ‘Fridge’,

‘Chapati’, another poem touches domestic abuse, “Poker-face chapatis gave nothing about fresh mark on mother’s face“Nithya writes. The poem was part of an installation for an installation held in Jaipur in 2024. Emarsiv installation was designed around the real -life stories of the kitchen.

However, it is not only for women, some poems also include male characters in relation to kitchens.

Nitya says that it took two and a half years to keep the book together and publish it. He is part of the quarantine train, which is a pan-India online poem collective, and Nithya says that she was inspired by poet Soni Somrajan’s collection ‘First Contact’. She credits Sony and poetry group from whom she learned the craft of writing. “Kavita is a continuous process. This requires work – editing and rewriting. Before they were good, I have seen my poems again one or two times. Even things like spaceing and line brake carry meanings, ”Nithya is called.

Nithya Maryam John | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

The book was well received by their fellow teachers and students in college and gave birth to discussions that raised interesting questions around gender and culinary literature. She says, “My book is charming to start important conversations around gender and food.

Nithya ensures that he gets some time to study every day. “I read at least 30 to 40 minutes every day and that’s keeping me balanced.”

Nithya’s writings have been published in contemporary magazines, magazines and newspapers and were nominated for the Pushkart Award in 2022 and were shortlisted for the Sundress Poetry Broadside competition in 2023. He (from Malayalam to English) has translated Grassi, Anni R, and stories. Poems of Shahina EK, R Sangeeta, Kala Sajivan and Sujesh, Novels by Anju Sijit and books by Annie Vallicappan and Zacher.

The book with 35 poems, which takes photos by Abi Etty Kurien, also has some delicious dishes and notes.

Kitchen poems, ₹ 299, are available at Amazon.