Book Launch: Rajiv Mohabir's Banbas/Exile

Rajiv Mohabir first learned of the Ramayan from his grandmother while sitting on his parents’ brown-tiled porch, surrounded by the scrub forest of Central Florida. Descended from generations of Indian indentured laborers who were brought to Guyana under nefarious contracts, they receive the ancient Hindu epic poem as a tale of exile in anthropomorphic wilderness, passed along as it was in stories and songs shared vocally in the cane fields.

Here, in a singular gesture of deeply layered translation, this ember of song is passed along again. Drawing on his grandmother’s Creole, Caribbean Hindustani, and the King’s English on his own decolonized terms, Mohabir reimagines the Ramayan anew. Classical in form yet rooted in Guyanese ancestry and its diasporas, Banbas / Exile is a genre-bending collection of poetry, stories, songs, and reflective prose. Speaking through heroes, villains, and animal deities, this extraordinary translation gives voice to lives shaped by exile and to the enduring search for a world that can hold both difference and communion.

We encourage everyone to prepurchase their books before the event as we cannot guarantee book availability without prepurchase.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Rajiv Mohabir is a memoirist, translator, and the author of five collections of poems, most recently Seabeast. His books have been awarded with Foreword Indies Gold and the Eric Hoffer Medal Provocateur.

EVENT SCHEDULE

6:00pm Doors

6:25pm Welcome & introduction

6:30pm Reading & Discussion

7:20pm Q&A

7:40pm Book signing and conversation

ACCESSIBILITY

Parking: Metered street parking is available (parallel parking) on Market St. Paid lots are available within a few blocks. The closest one is on 21st and Market St.

Entrance Access: Our front door is at street level and manually operated, accessible for wheelchairs and mobility aids. The rest of the block has sidewalks raised by five steps; however, the bike lane offers a step-free route down the block with minimal car traffic.

Restrooms: All-gender restrooms. Just like at home.

Communication: All staff on site speak English. There will be one Spanish speaking staff member. We welcome communication via translation apps (Google Translate is available). While we do not use ASL, we’re happy to communicate through apps or other tools that work for you.

Alcohol Policy: No alcohol will be served or permitted at this event.

Questions or Requests: Please contact us at events@morematter.com with any accessibility needs or questions.

We encourage everyone to prepurchase their books before the event as we cannot guarantee book availability without prepurchase.