In 2003 he published Darkness at Bamiyan which was inspired by the tragic destruction of the great Buddhist statues at Bamiyan in Afghanistan. The book is an imaginative dialogue between the two statues, Sol Sol and Shahmama, who poignantly reflect on various aspects of the human condition such as uncertainty, materialism, ritualism, dogma, guilt, anger and separation. The poetry in the book has an epic sweep spanning 160 stanzas and 640 lines and interwoven into the dialogue between the protagonists are certain illustrative tenets of Buddhist philosophy. By succeeding in giving a unique resonance to the tragic statues, Darkness at Bamiyan, has been compared by some readers to Percy Bysshe Shelley’s famous work Ozymandias.

A Summit at Jungfraujoch was published in 2004 and the inspiration for the subject matter, a dialogue between the great mountain ranges of the world, was crystallized during his visit to Jungfraujoch in the Bernese Oberland region of the Swiss Alps in the summer of 2003. The dialogue spanning 60 stanzas and 480 lines explores our collective past, present and future and in doing so also evokes imagery from the fields of geography, geology and astronomy. A series of searching questions are also raised befitting the open ended nature of the communion amongst the ancients.

During the creative fervor of Darkness at Bamiyan and A Summit at Jungfraujoch, Amol also produced a series of black and white ink sketches. This interest, which he also developed in his childhood, provides him a complementary dimension through which to explore his themes. Several of the sketches have verses inscribed on them and he regards these as an evocative backdrop to his reading sessions/participations in events or festivals. These sketches are not for sale and principally adorn the walls of his creative den in South Jakarta. The growth of the internet of course has magnified the power of the visual and an unintended beneficiary of these sketches has been this website and its designer who has found in the sketches a useful creative context. Amol is very interested in art and enjoys reading about the great artists, their lives and inspirations. He regards as his favorites Titian, Rembrandt, Renoir and Salvador Dali. The works of WG Hofker, Affandi and Dullah on Indonesian subjects and MF Hussain, Amrita Shergill and Suhas Roy on Indian subjects also fascinates him.

Modern Traumas is a recent collection of poetry through which he has examined some of the issues of modern existence that challenge and engage the like minded amongst us. These include terrorism, racism, consumerism, the stereotyping of the feminine, choke of bureaucracies, environmental degradation, lack of statesmanship, threats faced by ancient tribes, pandemics and nuclear descents amongst others. In the book he has paid a special tribute to Nelson Mandela and Aung San Suu Kyi, two contemporary leaders whose lives and actions have moved him and whom he regards as “flickering glows in an otherwise rapidly darkening global stage”.

During the production of Modern Traumas Amol has also produced a series of collages in which he has used newspaper headings to reflect some of the contemporary issues he is exploring. The result is an interesting interplay between his creativity and the perceptiveness of headline writers experienced through a variety of publications that he normally is exposed to.

He resides in Jakarta with his wife, Jayshri, who is a professional school teacher and two sons, Karan and Tarun. He is currently finalizing on a collection of poetry on Indonesia and India titled Two Clipped Wings and a novel set in Sri Lanka titled The Fires at Perahera. He can be contacted via author@amoltitus.com