So this month's featured author is ' Anindita Bose'
Can
you tell us a little about yourself? Your profession and your hobbies!
Born
and brought up in Kolkata, I am inspired by the zeal of my city of joy. I
believe my interest in psychology has connected me closely to universal ideas
and human emotions. I believe words have immense possibilities to create life
out of nothing. My first book is 'The Virtual Reality' [Sparrow-Delhi,
2016], which is co-written with seven other poets from all over India. My
debut solo poetry book is 'I Know the Truth of a Broken Mirror' [Writers
Workshop Kolkata, 2018]. I am a freelance editor of Virasat Art Publication and
co-edited the short stories book Dynami Zois [Life Force] in 2017.
I
have work experience of 6 years in Manya, The Princeton Review Kolkata as a
Senior Verbal Mentor in Study Abroad Products and Operations Manager; mentoring
and counselling school children, college students and working professionals. I
have worked in Blue Mountains School, Ooty as a High School English Teacher.
Currently, I am working as an independent scriptwriter in Kolkata and has shot
my first short film.
Questionnaire with Anindita Bose
1. How did you first get involved with writing, are you an
imaginative person?
I used to write the thought of the day in my school.
As I grew up, words became my friends through the books of the libraries that I
visited. Imagination is a state of mind and I do explore the mind often.
Actively I got involved in the mainstream writing since 2014 when I
co-founded my poetry group in Kolkata with Dr Amit Shankar Saha and Ms Sufia
Khatoon.
2. What do you do when you are not writing?
When not writing I am actively involved in activities of a
poetry group in Kolkata named ‘Rhythm Divine Poets’ of which I am a
co-founder. I am a coordinator for the Chair Poetry Evenings, Kolkata 2018 [an
international poetry festival first time in India] and program coordinator for
Chair Poetry Residence Program.
3. Where do you see yourself in the next 6 months, and 5 years
down the road?
A couple of new books, meeting new readers, a publishing
house, and travelling around the world.
4. How do you keep coming up with material/content for your
story?
I observe. Since childhood days, I have been looking around
me. People, life, nature, struggles and miracles. And then when words came to
me to become poems, short stories and scripts, those connections and
observations give me content for my write-ups.
5. Any specific tips you have for new writers who want to make
it big in the world of published books?
We can never give up, and we have a creative heart beating
inside us so look forward and walk through all odds and favours. Be aware of
what is happening in the creative world, nurture your own dreams and connect
with the people of the literary world as much as possible. We are all connected and
the right connections give us the best breaks.
6. What’s the best thing a writer can give to his/her readers?
Truth in the forms that will connect the readers. In a world
that we are in, people need strength to survive loneliness at times and a good
book or a favourite writer can open a door of hope for a reader. The best thing
a writer can give to her readers is the power to believe in themselves no
matter what.
7. A lot of people are interested in writing for money
earning potential. What are some tips for people interested in making money
from writing? What are some realistic expectations in regards to what can be
made?
Content writing is a stepping stone to earn money. Writing
can bring in money, but one has to explore carefully the options and the
market. Be focused and do not give up when it seems slow, approach the
newspapers, magazines and advertising agencies. One can conduct workshops on
writing for interested people and students.
8. What motivates you most in life?
I lost my grandmother and mother recently, and I feel their
stories keep me motivated in life. Two women of different times and temperament
under the same roof, who struggled hard to create a family
9. The majority of the readers tend to take sides due to religion
and such other considerations.
Humans will always have their own choices. A writer needs to
be like the Sun, no matter what ‘it’s light and heat’ cannot be ignored.
Readers can take sides, but such strong needs to be a writer’s creation that at
the end - his/her words, stories, poems will be remembered by the present and
future generations.
10. What is the story behind the name of your book?
‘I Know the Truth of a Broken Mirror’ published by the Writers Workshop Kolkata, got its name from
Mr Miguel Escobar. He is a friend from California with a fine taste in
Literature, who wrote one of my forewords. He noticed this title in a line of
one of my poems in the book itself and he later said to me, ‘It reminded me of
Maya Angelou’s Caged Birds…’
Travellers
a breath, a
whisper
but no words
together we travel
in
land of souls
a river inflow, a
dream
in motion and I
stand
still
words echo how you
exist in the skies
and
stars
but I
will not believe
for I know the
truth of
a broken mirror
and
existence of that
door...
yet I cannot open
that
shadow and enter
to
touch you are new
life
for I have
promised
that I shall end
my
journey before I
would cry
11. What are your views on increasing plagiarism?
Unacceptable crime in the world of words. We need more
awareness about this and proper punishments. However, ideas indeed come from the depth of human existence and there is a possibility that they may
be similar, but technical plagiarism is absolutely non-tolerant.
.jpg "BOOK REVIEW - “IT HAPPENS FOR A REASON” BY PREETI SHENOY")
