Even though Assamese poetry has left an indelible imprint on the Indian literary landscape, yet much of it is largely unknown to a wider readership. This volume in attempting to fill this literary void, brings together some of the finest poets of the second half of the twentieth century, beginning with Navakanta Barua who gave a new language and a new idiom to Assamese poetry. Finely selected and ably translated, many of them for the first time in English translation, the volume also includes Ajit Barua, Hiren Bhattacharya, Nilmoni Phukan, Nirmalprabha Bordoloi, Birendra Kumar Bhattacharya, Keshav Mahanta, Hem Barua, Homen Borgohain, Dilip Barua, Hari Barkakati, Hirendra Nath Dutta, Bhaben Barua, Harekrishna Deka, Bireswar Barua, Tarun Barua, Anis-ul-Zarnan and Niren Barua.
Dhirendra Nath Bezboruah (b. 1933) taught English and Linguistics for over two decades. The founder editor of The Sentinel, an English daily published from Guwahati, Bezboruah has been translating Assamese poetry and fiction extensively since the 1970s. His works include the English translation of Birendra Kumar Bhattacharyya's novel Mrityunjay which won the Jnanpith Award in 1982. He was also the president of the Editors Guild of India from 1995to 1997.