Imphal, Oct 12: Trans Poetry from Manipur, an anthology curated by Indigenous Nupi Maanbi activist, scholar and writer Santa Khurai, brings together queer and trans voices from the region, documenting lived experiences through poetry rooted in Manipur’s language and cultural traditions.
Recently published by Xako Publication and edited by Mesak Takhelmayum, the anthology is among the first collections of queer and trans poetry from Manipur, according to a statement issued by the publishers.
It features 28 poets whose works emerged from poetry workshops conducted by Khurai, with selected poems from the sessions shortlisted for publication.
Presented bilingually in Meitei Mayek and English, the book features translations by Shaanba Arambam.
The dual-language format preserves the poems’ linguistic roots while making their narratives accessible to a wider readership.
The poems explore identity, the body, love, family and belonging, foregrounding experiences often marginalised in mainstream literary narratives.
Together, they challenge the notion that queer and trans identities are new or external to Manipur, asserting instead that these lives have long been part of the region’s social and cultural fabric.
The anthology’s cover, designed by artist Andy Maisnam, draws inspiration from the folktale of Sandrembi and Chaisra and the Shattra of Lai Haraoba, situating the collection within Manipur’s indigenous cultural traditions.
Khurai, the anthology’s curator, is the secretary of the All Manipur Nupi Maanbi Association (AMANA) and the author of The Yellow Sparrow: Memoir of a Transgender Woman.
Through her activism, scholarship and writing, she has worked to foreground the experiences and identities of transgender people in Manipur.