4 April, Jorhat: Cornucopia 4.0, an English poetry festival, was organized by the Society for English Studies (SES), Department of English, at the Jagannath Barooah University to commemorate the birth of the renowned American poet Maya Angelou. The event began at 10:00 am with an on-the-spot poetry writing competition in which contestants from several colleges from Jorhat and Golaghat districts participated. The formal function started with the university song performed by the students and a graceful dance performance as a tribute to Zubeen Garg.
Dr. Nandini Choudhury Bora Head, Department of English, delivered the welcome address, after which by the Dr. Deepanjali Baruah. President SES, explained the genesis and significance of the Cornucopia festival. Dr. Utpal Jyoti Mahanta, Registrar, JBU, and Dr. Surajit Sharma, Academic Registrar, also addressed the gathering.
The literary segment of the program began with a recitation of Maya Angelou’s poem “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” by Ms. Janasheen Jumana, a 6th semester student of the department. Dr. Neeta Lagachu Taye , poet and invited Resource Person, then initiated a poetry writing workshop. She shared valuable insights into poetry writing and recitation, emphasizing rhythm, voice modulation, and expression through recitation of a few famous poems and some of her own compositions. She also conducted an engaging group activity in which lines of verse, contributed by the participants in response to alphabetic cues, were later combined to create a collaborative poem.
After a lunch break, the second Resource Person, Dr. Shyamalima Saikia who could not be present in person, continued the workshop in virtual mode, providing guidance on the composition as well as publication of poetry.
Thereafter Ms. Anamika Tamuli, an ex-student of the department currently pursuing her doctoral research in Tezpur University, was felicitated for having won the prestigious Wingword Prize for poetry, 2026. She recited a few of her compositions, including her prize-winning poem, “The Dal Burned.” This was followed by a tribute to the legendary artist Zubeen Garg through a choral song performance by the students. A visual presentation designed by Aman Wahid Hazarika to showcase the legacy of Cornucopia, from 2015 to the present, followed,
Next came an open session in which self-composed poems and translations were recited by those present, including Ms. Anmona Bora, former HoD, English, Dr. Deepanjali Baruah, Ms. Pranami Bania and Mr. Abhishek Kabra.
Finally, the results of the poetry writing competition were declared and the winners— Projnan Pratim Sharma, JBU (1st), Priyangana Buragohain, HPBG, Golaghat (2nd) and Priyakshi Dutta, JBU (3rd)— were awarded certificates and cash prizes. Mr. Nilabh Nayan Gupta delivered the vote of thanks.