With Oasis 2024 just around the corner, the Oasis English Press reached out to Avindhya Thapliyal, the Coordinator of the Poetry Club to discuss their involvement in the upcoming fest.

He explained that the club hosts two events — Rap Wars, a rap battle event, and Purple Prose, a slam poetry event. Avindhya stated that both events conducted their preliminary rounds towards late July. Rap Wars held its preliminary rounds in collaboration with various organisations in four cities across India: Mumbai, Delhi, Jaipur, and Hyderabad. From each city, two finalists would be selected and sponsored by the club to attend the final round on campus.  He added that a similar procedure was followed for the preliminary round of Purple Prose, which was conducted in six cities. A total of twelve candidates would be selected to compete in the finals. He mentioned that last year, Rap Wars had garnered a massive response and he hoped to increase the participation this year. 

When asked about the challenges encountered, Avindhya said that they mainly faced problems negotiating the different demands that each organisation had, including requests like wanting kind deliverables. He went on to speak about his experience as a Coordinator, explaining how the position of responsibility had been an enjoyable and positive experience. He also mentioned that the morale of his team has been high.

On a parting note, Avindhya urged everyone to attend both their events. He explained that while Rap Wars is the more popular one, slam poetry is a niche topic in which more people should take an interest.