Shweta Mahendra is an accomplished technology leader with an extensive corporate background of over 25 years. She has worked in various sectors, including retail, telecom, and futuristic technologies, and is presently affiliated with Reliance Jio. Alongside her strong interest in technology, Shweta nurtures a deep passion for history, archaeology, ancient scripts, sociology, politics, travel, fashion, and fitness. She pursued her engineering studies at IIT Roorkee, further solidifying her technical expertise.
Interview with Shweta Mahendra
The Literature Times: First of all, congratulations on the tremendous success of your book, “Many Visions, Many Worlds.” It has garnered quite a following since its release. How do you feel about its overwhelming reception?
Shweta Mahendra: Thank You so much for hosting this interview and wishes. I am satisfied that readers are appreciating it. It is my first book and I am happy to see the response.
The Literature Times: Could you share the inspiration behind the creation of “Many Visions, Many Worlds”? What were the significant events or experiences that led you to write this book?
Shweta Mahendra: The inspiration was to bring the hidden ancient knowledge in light to Indians and spreading the awareness about technical advancements in future. The regular discussions with a friend, which became the inspiration to bring the facts on table were the key catalyst.
The Literature Times: As an author, do you believe “Many Visions, Many Worlds” effectively captures your intended message, or do you anticipate exploring further themes in your future works?
Shweta Mahendra: Many Visions, Many Worlds is a drop in ocean, It was like an experiment how readers will look at it and now when they are asking for next book, I am planning to write my next book connecting history, philosophy, social issues and our normal life.
The Literature Times: The abstract nature of “Many Visions, Many Worlds” quickly captivates readers. Did you consider other formats or styles before deciding to write it as prose?
Shweta Mahendra: When I started writing, I haven’t thought of any style, I have written on various subjects and collated as a book. Foremost priority was to capture my observations and perceptions of my travel. Then connecting the past, present and future in a thread.
The Literature Times: Though difficult to categorize, if you had to assign a genre to “Many Visions, Many Worlds,” how would you describe it?
Shweta Mahendra: I wanted this book to make the readers ponder and think on topics I wrote about. Ambiguity and objectivity are key factors of the book so the reader can come to their own conclusions. I feel there is one true genre for the book, but if I had to say, “Philosophy” would be the closest.
The Literature Times: As the author of “Many Visions, Many Worlds,” have you been influenced by any other writers? Are there specific authors who have inspired your work?
Shweta Mahendra: I am influenced by writing style of Yuval Noah Harari, especially his books Homo Sapiens and Homo Deus. I find it interesting because he also connects the things and derives his own conclusions. I have my own theories, visions and predictions taking references from the past.
The Literature Times: “Many Visions, Many Worlds” has established you as a promising writer. Can we expect more literary offerings from you in the future? Could you share any insights into your upcoming projects?
Shweta Mahendra: I am working on two books currently, one is on history again, because I feel that I wanted to write more in this book, but I was skeptical about acceptance of such kind of style. I released this book to know the reader’s feedback and I am so glad about amazing response. Second book I am in process of drafting the story line will be on Love. Everyone is so curious about IIT, this book will capture the real-life aspects with lot of philosophy which is my favorite subject.
The Literature Times: Balancing subjectivity and objectivity can be challenging when selecting situations and crafting them in “Many Visions, Many Worlds.” How did you approach maintaining an objective perspective throughout the book?
Shweta Mahendra: Being an engineer, it’s in our DNA to see the things objectively. When we solve mathematical questions or science problems, we play with facts only, that approach is always there while performing any task in real life also. For us we believe on evidence, and I learnt it from my friend who works in forces. Whenever I discuss anything, he asks for evidence and throughout the book that mindset was there.
The Literature Times: The title “Many Visions, Many Worlds” carries multifaceted associations. What is the story behind its selection for your book?
Shweta Mahendra: The initial title I gave to the book while writing was Metaphy which has a metaverse and physical world both exist together, because I was writing about the hybrid world. While discussing with a friend, he asked me what are you writing and I gave him brief, he said that these are your visions on many subjects and parallel worlds and that lead to the title Many Visions, Many Worlds and believe me no other title fits to the subject of the book.
The Literature Times: “Many Visions, Many Worlds” encourages readers to adopt an objective approach towards understanding life. How did you personally develop this perspective, and how does it manifest in your writing?
Shweta Mahendra: I live in parallel worlds and connect everything in daily life. I am passionate about everything History, Religion, Philosophy, Sociology and technology. After reading all these subjects I started seeing the things differently as a whole.
The Literature Times: Prior to the creation of “Many Visions, Many Worlds,” how would you describe your literary journey and the experiences that shaped you as a writer?
Shweta Mahendra: I was professionally involved in user experience and quality, the lifecycle of different products in various fields like healthcare, entertainment, and other verticals. I was planning to start my YouTube channel to share my travel experiences and to engage with audiences on complex philosophical topics, however I realized, compiling my ideas and thoughts in a book would be the best medium for it.
The Literature Times: Your book, “Many Visions, Many Worlds,” presents unique perspectives in a simplified manner. What was the most challenging aspect of conveying such complexity in a more accessible way?
Shweta Mahendra: Being an IITian, I realized communication is the major challenge for engineers, during Covid I started reading history, philosophy, and sociology. I always worked on technology side, I realized there is a need to explain technology to actual users in a simpler way. So this book I wrote keeping aside my technical background as a layman.
The Literature Times: Thank you for your time, and we wish you the best of luck with your future endeavors. We look forward to reading more impactful and thrilling books from your pen.
Shweta Mahendra: Thank you for asking interesting questions. Really speaking I haven’t realized that there are so many complex aspects in the book. This session will definitely help me in my next book.
