Mani Rao, Indian writer and poet, will present her translation of the ancient Hindu epic, Bhagavad-Gita, on Wednesday night at 7 p.m. in the Great Hall of Memorial Union. 

Rao, author of eight books of poetry, is currently a doctoral candidate in religious studies at Duke University. She has twice been a visiting fellow at the University of Iowa International Writing Program, and was writer-in-residence for the program in 2006. Prior to her academic work, she worked internationally in advertising, radio and television in Hong Kong, India and New Zealand.

Bhagavad-Gita is an ancient Hindu philosophical text that is part of the larger Mahabharata epic. Rao presents her translation of the work as a poem, which has been called “courageous,” “felicitous” and “transformative” by critics.