s4e4 January 29, 2026
Saumya Choudhury is an Indian poet, writer and cultural organizer who founded Delhi Poetry Slam in 2013, helping bring performance poetry to India and creating a transformative space for self-expression and community. In 2017, she stepped away from live events in order to expand poetry’s reach digitally, moving to Santiniketan West Bengal where she built Poem Pajama, an uncensored online platform for Indian poets. During this time, she lived closely with Santhali tribal communities, learning and engaging with their music, art, and architecture.
She became the first Indian invited to Washington D.C. by the Gulen Institute to honor emerging global youth voices. Inspired by international artistic exchanges, she founded Slam India Writing Retreats, hosting global artists in India (Jaipur and Goa) and funding the initiative on her own.
Known for a style that blends nostalgia, sharp wit, and emotional depth, her work explores identity, displacement, and loss with honesty and poetic intensity. Grounded in her East Indian heritage, she continues to support and represent new writers through Delhi Poetry Slam.
Choudry has performed at major venues like the American Embassy and Siri Fort Auditorium, and her writing has appeared in publications such as The Hindu and Teacher Plus. She received the 35th Y. Kumar Award for international understanding and teaches poetry at institutions including IIM Ahmedabad and IIT Kharagpur, while also mentoring teenagers through workshops.
