Expressions is the Creative Writing Society of Lady Shri Ram College. It comprises a team of literary enthusiasts who act as enablers of various writing events and discussions in college. The society aims at spreading the love for words and the passion for writing while mobilising aspiring writers and giving them the forum to express, explore and understand the words they can create. An integral part of the society is the Book Club, which seeks to provide a stage for lovers of the written word to meet and discuss their takes on various genres of literature.
Staff Advisors
Convener: Hari Krishan Sharma
Co-Convener: Nitika Ladda
Society Email Address : expressions.lsr@gmail.com
Expressions, the English creative writing society of LSR is a safe and warm space for writers, poets and everyone else who wishes to indulge in regular and varied forms of creative expression. The past year has been rather monumental for the society as the core team and open society, comprising of over 350+ creative enthusiasts, came together for customary Living Poets Society meetings, slam poetry competitions, NaPoWriMo and Writer of the Month contests, while also initiating fresh collaborations within and outside the walls of the college. The main objective of the society is to bring out the potential that writing as a creative art form carries, not only as a vehicle for driving change but also as a source of empowerment. The primary idea that remains central to the functioning of Expressions is to highlight the scope for teamwork and reliability while writing, that is, to see writing as something more than and beyond an isolated exercise. With an aim to make creative spaces more inclusive and welcoming of newer artists, Expressions thrives to offer a safe and warm space to everyone who wishes to indulge in the multivariate concentrations of creative expression.
Expressions, the English creative writing society of LSR is a safe and warm space for writers, poets and everyone else who wishes to indulge in regular and varied forms of creative expression. Expressions started the academic year by organizing a poetry workshop that helped re-introduce the society to the second and third year students on 14th August 2021. A creative writing competition was organized in September 2021 by the name of ‘Scrabble’ where students from college participated enthusiastically. The winners were Shikha Chandra, Anushka Dhyani, Swarnim Agrawal, Maalavika A., Kritika Singh and Medha Sinha. Expressions organized ‘Mind Swap’ in the third week of October 2021. Members of the core team were paired together with the purpose of not only getting to know each other, but also writing a piece in the style of their partner. Pieces were then discussed in feedback sessions spanned over three days. A short film screening of Call Him Eddy was organized on 22nd October 2021 which witnessed enthusiastic participation.
Expressions organized an Open Mic with the theme “Unwinding the Untold” where the participants showcased their diverse talents on 13th November 2021. On 8th January 2022, in collaboration with the English Department, Expressions invited Dipanjali Roy, an alumna of the college and the recipient of QMUL Wasafiri New Writing Prize for Poetry and other awards, for a poetry workshop.
The Because You Matter Campaign collaborated with Expressions to organize an Open Mic on the theme of self-love and hope on 28th January 2022.
An online short story workshop was organized by Expressions on 2nd April 2022, which touched upon the key elements and important tips for writing short fiction. Expressions, in collaboration with Abhivyakti, translated and adapted Kari by Amruta Patil into a bilingual poetry drama. The production was staged during Umang ‘22. Expressions also collaborated with the Philosophy Department for an Open Mic which was a part of their annual department fest. The Open Mic was on the theme ‘Art and Culture’ and was held on 23rd April 2022. In the month of April, members of Expressions participated in the National Poetry Writing Month by sharing poetry prompts and writing one poem every day. This was featured on social media.
Every month (from October 2021 to April 2022), a panel of judges was formed that included three volunteers from the core team and the two coordinators that judged the entries of this monthly competition. The Society received entries from Expressions members (Open Society and Core Team). The winner was featured on Instagram, LinkedIn and in the annual publication. This time, diverse themes were included in Expresso: The Places We Carry (observing the places that matter to us significantly), Conversations (writings on human connections formed through language and conversations), Up Where We Belong (exploring our existence in the vastness of the universe), and Mirror, Mirror on the Wall (tracking the ever-changing nature of humans). There was also space for non-themed creative pieces. This time, artwork and photographs from the core team members were accepted. Also there was a dedicated space for the ‘Writer of the Month’ winning entries.
With regard to social media, every week, the Expressions family posted a new non-themed piece of writing on its Instagram stories, giving emerging writers a platform to showcase their work. Writing advice by famous writers and tips on writing were posted frequently on the Instagram feed. Selected pieces were designed and posted on social media to feature pieces written by the members of Expressions. This was followed by weekly prompts sent on Open Society groups and the NaPoWriMo season.