Wordsworth defined poetry as ‘a spontaneous overflow of emotions.’ Since emotions and their spontaneous overflow are experienced by all of humanity, I am convinced that in each one of us there is a poet and an author waiting to find expression. ‘A Handful of Dewdrops’ is an outreach from one such self-styled poet to another. I hope this collection will strike a chord of familiarity and establish a connect between me and those who chance upon it.
The Literature Times: Welcome to The Literature Times, author. Congratulations on the release of your book. What responses are you getting from your readers? Please share your experience with this book.
Aneeta Sharma: It has just been just a week from the release. Friends and relatives have liked ordered their copies. Awaiting reactions. Putting the poems together was exciting and Evincepub made publishing seem like a cakewalk!
The Literature Times: What encourages you to become an Author?
Aneeta Sharma:I have been scribbling since my early school days and the responses have always encouraging and inspiring. My husband and daughter kept pushing me to formalise my writings.
The Literature Times: What are your favorite topics of writing? Please tell us something about your interest areas in the literature.
Aneeta Sharma:I have published one novel and thisis my second book. Poetry I feel captures emotions more intensely than prose.
The Literature Times: We were hoping you could tell us about some of those writers who had inspired you and whom you follow!
Aneeta Sharma: Agatha Christie, Gardener and robin Cook are my favorites, though a very different genre from what I write.
The Literature Times: The titles seem different and catchy; how you decided it? Please let us know the story behind it.
Aneeta Sharma: I shortlist titles which would capture the essence of my book and then put them up to my family. We select the one which gets the most votes.
The Literature Times: What are your achievements so far? Tell us something about your writing career.
Aneeta Sharma: A few articles/poems in school/college yearbooks; some in forces journals and I blog with TOI under the name ‘Random Musings’. I have published one book [fiction] titled HOME RUN.A Handful of Dewdrops is my second book.
The Literature Times: What is your current goal in writing a career? How do you see your future in writing?
Aneeta Sharma: There are so many concepts Iwant to work on.I GUESS I’ll be busy for the next 5-6 years if I want all of them to take the shape of books.
The Literature Times: Are sthere any other books being worked by you? Please let us know about your future projects.
Aneeta Sharma: I am presently working on my second fiction as the first one got some really encouraging responses.
The Literature Times: How you see Indian writing in the 21st century? What changes do you see in the modern way of writing? Do you feel it has been changed by the time?
Aneeta Sharma: When I startedexploring publishing avenues, I realised that there are so many published authors out there and so many more emerging. India abounds with talent and there will be an abundance of voices waiting to be heard.Writing is far easier, economical and time saving now with computers and self-publishing will soon overtake the traditional platform because of the sheer magnitude of its outreach and accessibility.
The Literature Times: How easy/ difficult it was for you to publish your book? What message would you like to give to budding authors?
Aneeta Sharma : I am glad I found great publishers in Evince pub and they brought my book into print in remarkably short time. Got excellent support from their team. For all budding authors I can only say—if you love writing and have written something you believe in then go ahead and let your work see the light of day.
