The Literature Times | Author Feature Input
The Literature Times: Welcome to The Literature Times. Congratulations on the release of your book ‘Inky Expressions: An Anthology of Peculiar Poetry.’ What responses are you getting from your readers? Please share your experience so far.
Aparna: Thank you so much. I have received a lot of positive feedback so far.My book is a bilingual anthology featuring fifteen English poems and ten Hindi poems. The tone of my poems changes with the language and a lot of people are finding that quite intriguing.
The Literature Times: What motivates you to write?
Aparna: Writing for me is a way to express myself as a woman. I use my poems to explore my life , specially the complex socio-political and cultural space I occupy as a 21st century woman in India. Raw emotions, everyday experiences specially the ones that challenge me emotionally and intellectually, motivate me to use my words as both my armour and my ammunition.
The Literature Times: Please tell us something about your interest areas in Literature.
Aparna: I am particularly interested in women’s writing specially works of non-canonical women writers, twentieth century literature, feminist theory, poetry and poetics. And when I crave for a comfort read, I turn to classic cozy crime novels.
The Literature Times: We were hoping you could tell us about some of those writers who have inspired you and whom you follow.
Aparna: There are too many to name. I am continuously learning from the past and the present literary world. To quote Sir Issac Newton, we are all “ standing on shoulders of giants.” This applies to all the disciplines including Literature.
The Literature Times: How do you think Literature has changed in the 21stcentury? What fascinates you the most about writing in today’s world?
Aparna: Literature is influenced by the society and it influences the society in turn. In the 21st century , I feel , Literature has adapted itself to the changing trends. It’s form and intent is evolving as the world around it is evolving . Literature today has found new ways to engage with the immutable and endless human questions.
It’s fascinating how easy writing and publishing have become in today’s world. Technology has made the written word easily available and accessible.The variety of platforms available to enthusiastic writers today are unimaginable. Ways of producing texts and ways of consuming texts have been altered and it’s pretty exciting to see how different perspectives intersect and negotiate in today’s fast-paced global village.
The Literature Times: Talking about your book, the title is quite interesting and catchy. Does it have a special significance?
Aparna: My book is titled “ Inky Expressions : An Anthology of Peculiar Poetry”. For me the keywords here are ‘Inky’ and ‘Peculiar.’ ‘Inky’ conjures up an image of not just paper stained with ink but alsoof darkness and my poetry has a dark core. Being engulfed in darkness, exploring the shadows that lurk deep within and interplay between darkness and hope are recurring motifs in my poems. The word ‘ Peculiar’ is interesting too because my poems are idiosyncratic in terms of their voice and flavour. With this anthology, I have finally found my poetic voice and the title reflects that.
The Literature Times: What are your literary achievements so far? Tell us something about your literary journey.
Aparna: I have only just started my literary journey. Recently, my academic paper ‘Feminist Dystopian Imagination in Postmodern Fiction’ was published in an anthology titled “Postmodern Praxis in Literature” edited by Dr. Jagdish Batra , Professor of English and Director , ELS at O P. Jindal Global University, India and Dr. Bimlesh K. Singh , Associate Professor and HOD English at Mahatma Gandhi Central University of Bihar, India. Also, on the occasion of Mother’s Day this year, my poem titled ‘Me and Mine’ was published in a book titled “Mother’s Embrace” published by McKinley Publishing Hub, Kentucky, USA. ‘Me & Mine’ dwells upon the complexity, responsibility, as well as delight of raising a daughter! It reiterates my firm belief that motherhood by choice empowers .
The Literature Times: If you had to define yourself as a writer in one word, what word would that be ?
Aparna : Maverick
The Literature Times: How do you see your future as a writer?
Aparna: I envision myself as a big writer with big ideas.
The Literature Times: Are there any other books in the pipeline?
Aparna: I am working on another anthology of poetry with a different theme altogether. It is an unconventional and audacious project and I hope it turns out the way I am currently imagining it to be.
The Literature Times: How easy/ difficult it was for you to publish your book? What message would you like to give to other budding writers?
Aparna: For me the biggest challenge was finding the right publisher. Once that was done, everything was smooth and hassle-free.I actually enjoyed the process and it was extremely exciting for me to see my book take a tangible form. I would advice budding writers to write candidly and choose their publishers wisely .
