Drunken Boat / Fortunate Traveller Press has announced the publication of Bhutan, a multi-genre collaboration by poet and photographer Sudeep Sen and writer Ravi Shankar. The book, available on Amazon, combines poetry, prose, and photography to explore the Himalayan kingdom often idealized as the world's last Shangri-La.
Sen, whose work has appeared in The Times Literary Supplement and The Guardian, contributes chiselled poetry and evocative photographs, while Shankar, a Pushcart Prize winner and author of 18 books, provides analytical prose. The book examines Bhutan's claim to measure prosperity through Gross National Happiness, a concept Shankar approaches with wit and critical rigour, tracing the country's modernizing monarchy and Buddhist heritage.
Sen's couplets operate as "short flashes of organic form," capturing colour, texture, and the sacred, while his photographs of prayer flags and monasteries mirror his lyric precision. Together, the two authors create a two-voiced portrait of a nation at the crossroads of tradition and transformation.
Praise for the book includes comments from actress Shabana Azmi, who calls it "a unique and personal multi-genre book," and poet Amit Majmudar, who notes its "eudemonic delight and heightened astonished awareness." The book is priced at $29.95 and is published in trade paperback format.
