A book that experiments with writing is likely to be more popular among readers for its unconventional style and experimental nature. One of these attempts is “Did You Change The World, My Love?” by Arun Agnihotri is a refreshing departure from conventional literary genres. The book comprises of meticulously taken field notes that are strung together in a poetic rendition, creating vivid imagery that transports the reader to another world. Arun Agnihotri’s “Did You Change The World, My Love?” presents not only a unique literary style but also a fresh perspective on life and its complexities. The author takes the reader on a journey through the eyes of a young traveler who is exploring new places, meeting new people, and experiencing life in its purest form. Moreover, the unconventional style of writing and the random ideas spun together with different stories become the key attractions of Agnihotri’s collection of thoughts.
AUTHOR INTERVIEW
- The Literature Times: Can you tell us a bit about the inspiration behind your book, “Did You Change the World, My Love?”?
Arun Agnihotri: No inspiration as such except Life’s experiences.
- The Literature Times: How did you go about creating the characters and their development throughout the stories? Since they all are distinct, what inspired the characters in “Did You Change the World, My Love?”?
Arun Agnihotri: The characters were not created. They were already there in my diary/field notes. I may have given them colour and more depth.
- The Literature Times: Can you talk about the themes and messages you wanted to convey through your book? Did “Did You Change the World, My Love?” give you plenty of space to express all your ideas? Or they would follow in a sequel?
Arun Agnihotri: The themes are very personal and messages have to be sourced by the readers themselves – at least that is what I would like to happen. There are still many notes with me that could be expanded for a larger reading audience. So, yes, I am thinking of another book that is not necessarily a sequel.
- The Literature Times: “Did You Change the World, My Love?” extends its base to a universal form since it relates to current events or larger societal issues. Do you agree to this?
Arun Agnihotri: Both.
- The Literature Times: Can you discuss your writing process and how you approached structuring the stories in “Did You Change the World, My Love?”? Did it require frequent revisions?
Arun Agnihotri: I had to first decide the notes I wanted to expand and share. This selection was not easy. I then, spent some time trying to give them structure and make them ‘reader-friendly’. Yes, there were frequent revisions/editing.
- The Literature Times: How do you see “Did You Change the World, My Love?” impacting readers, and what do you hope they take away from it? Did you have any specific objectives while writing it?
Arun Agnihotri: I am just sharing my experiences. I don’t know what impact it may have on the reader and what they take away from it is the reader’s personal thought process.
- The Literature Times: Are there any specific literary or artistic influences that can be seen in “Did You Change the World, My Love?”? How did you manage to maintain distinctness even when writing in a popular form of literary writing?
Arun Agnihotri: No specific literary of artistic influence. I wrote from the heart and tried to keep true to myself and my style.
- The Literature Times: How do you see “Did You Change the World, My Love?” fitting into the larger literary canon or genre?
Arun Agnihotri: It does not fit into any larger literary canon or genre. This has been pointed out in the Foreword.
- The Literature Times: Can you talk about any challenges or obstacles you faced while writing “Did You Change the World, My Love?”?
Arun Agnihotri: None, except myself!
- The Literature Times: Just out of curiosity, can you share in brief about what the sequel to “Did You Change the World, My Love?” would feature?
Arun Agnihotri: Like I said earlier – there is no sequel as such. I would like to write another book by sourcing again from my diaries/field notes. A collection of short sketches and poems in English and Hindi. I am also thinking of translating my maternal grandfather’s books.
- The Literature Times: It is interesting to note how you managed to remain objective about each character even when speaking for them through them in “Did You Change the World, My Love?” How did you maintain this objectivity?
Arun Agnihotri: With discipline, understanding, empathy and sensitivity.
- The Literature Times: I hope that this collection breaks records in royalty collection. Wishing you luck!
Arun Agnihotri: I doubt it but thanks!
