On Saturday, February 28th, 2026, Zeba Books conducted Poetic Expressions 4.0, a digital event dedicated to the exploration and performance of contemporary verse. This fourth iteration of our signature poetry open house series brought together a curated group of fourteen poets, utilizing Zoom as a digital platform to foster a space for literary exchange and creative dialogue.
The Digital Stage: Bridging Distance through Verse
In an era defined by digital connectivity, Poetic Expressions 4.0 leveraged the accessibility of Zoom to transform isolated screens into a collective forum for the spoken word. The participants presented a range of original monologues and rhythmic compositions, demonstrating how traditional poetic forms can adapt and thrive within modern digital frameworks.
The event was not merely a recital, but a structured environment designed to offer poets a professional platform for their work and a community of peers for mutual support.
During the event, Manasi Agrawal navigated the landscape of grief and the search for healing in her poem ‘Papa, Will I Ever Be Okay?’, writing:
I miss you on my happiest days
Papa, Will I Ever Be Okay?, Manasi Agrawal.
And on my saddest
I miss you when I forget to smile
And when I need an advice
I miss you when the sun shines
And the moon is bright
I miss you when the starts are twinkling
And I am just living
I miss you
A little more everyday
Papa, will I ever be okay?
Exploring themes of surrender and the beauty of the ‘in-between,’ Aiman Jabeen captured a moment of stillness in this passage of her poem ‘A Field Between My Past & My Future‘ —
The sun is forging its daily
A Field Between My Past & My Future, Aiman Jabeen.
Path across the sky.
And turn my face toward it.
My shadow lands behind. Everything that has been
or will be
I release.
In her piece ‘Where Stories Live,’ Muskan weaved a tapestry of memory and childhood, writing:
Some houses have too many corridors,
Where Stories Live, Muskan.
too many shortcuts,
doors opening from impossible corners
you can tell someone’s childhood lived here.
Running feet, hide-and-seek,
giggles tucked under staircases.
Sahilpreet Kaur, another one of the presenting poets, went on to capture the fragility of existence in her piece ‘Evanescence,’:
Dirt-smitten bodies, shallow souls,
Evanescence, Sahilpreet Kaur.
trauma-drenched bones
One day will end in soil
And sweet death will summon,
Lift us in comfortable hands,
Dreams, toils all morphed into sand.
Adjudication and Academic Oversight
The integrity of the competition was upheld by our distinguished guest judge, Dr. Sadaf Fareed of Aligarh Muslim University. Dr. Fareed evaluated the presentations based on thematic depth, technical execution, and the emotive resonance of the delivery.
To ensure the highest standards of objectivity, the event also incorporated a blind adjudication phase. A founding member from the Zeba Books Editorial Process Unit anonymously evaluated all contributions independently, providing a rigorous layer of internal oversight to the selection process.
Zeba Books remains committed to involving academic voices in our selection process to ensure that our publications maintain a high standard of literary merit.
Recognition and Career Development
The symposium concluded with the conferral of awards aimed at fostering long-term professional growth:
- Participation: All the participants received e-certificates in recognition of their scholarly and creative contributions.
- Anthology Selection: A select group of poems have been shortlisted for inclusion in Zeba Books’ forthcoming multi-poet anthologies.
- The Grand Prize: Following a rigorous evaluation, Manasi Agarwal was awarded a solo book publishing contract. This partnership marks the beginning of a comprehensive editorial process to bring a new, singular voice to the global market.
Conclusion
Poetic Expressions 4.0 reaffirms that the human spirit and the power of language remain vital, even when mediated through a screen. As the session closed, the sense of creative momentum was palpable. Zeba Books is proud to facilitate these intersections of language and technology, providing a global stage for voices that deserve to be heard.
We look forward to the editorial journey ahead with our winners and thank all participants for their contribution to the contemporary literary landscape.
Event Co-ordination Team
- MoC
- Farah Umer, Jnr Ops Manager, Zeba Books
- Aastha Gehlot, Trainee, Zeba Books
- Co-ordinators
- Ishita Srivastava, Ops Manager, Zeba Books
- Avani Sharma & Navya Jain, Trainees, Zeba Books