An Exclusive Interview with the Woman Legend In the Literary World - Preeti Shenoy

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Firstly, I would like to begin with the most basic question, how did your journey with the pen begin?
I have always written and drawn pictures, ever since I remember. In school, the margins of my text-books would be filled with doodles and tiny illustrations.

If I did not like the ending a particular story in my text book, I would change it! I also used to take part in all the creative writing contests (apart from many other things which I was equally interested in). As a teen, I had my journals and I would write in them every single day.So my love for writing goes back a long way.


When did you first consider yourself a writer, far from a blogger?

I think all bloggers are indeed writers. Yes, there may be some who are better than others, in their writing.
For me, the first ‘high’ of writing came, when I wrote an article for a local newspaper, and saw my name in print for the very first time. Here I was, doing what I loved, and someone was paying me for it! I was thrilled.



What inspired you to write your first book?
 
My first book is mostly a collection of my blog-posts adapted to suit a book. I was writing mainly for myself to get over the deep grief of losing my father. But surprisingly it found it’s way into many hearts. My posts became really popular. By then I had started writing for Readers Digest, Times of India and a few other publications too. The natural progression of all this was my first book.


What books have highly influenced your life?
 
One of the earliest books I read when I was just nine (yes, I was precocious as a child) was ‘I’m Ok, you’re Ok’ by  Thomas A Harris. That book kind of defined my thinking, as I used to have a lot of dicussions about various things in that book, with my dad. I loved these sessions with him.(This when I was a child). The other books I read as an adult, which made a deep impact on me  are Mitch Albom’s ‘Tuesdays with morrie’ and 'I will not die an unlived life' by Dawna Markova.

 
If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?

Undoubtedly, Roald Dahl! I worship his writing ability and his way with words. I have read ALL the books he has written—for adults as well as children. And I felt really sad when he passed away. Good Authors should never die!


Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?

By new, I presume you mean first time authors? I read a lot. But I am not able to zero in on any one name. Usually if an author is successful, it isn’t long before he/she comes out with another book, and then they are not a ‘new author’ anymore!


If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in you latest book?

Not a single thing! I have worked very hard on this book and am very happy at how it has turned out.



Can you share a little of your current work with us?

It’s a full length fiction, again an unusual story. (Like all my work, which is very different from each other). I won’t be able to share any more details.


Do you have to travel much concerning your books?

For my latest book I did travel to Pune and Delhi (apart from my home base which is Bangalore) for my book events. I will be traveling to Chennai soon. I also have been invited to speak at some colleges. So yes, I do a fair amount of travel for my books.


What was the hardest part of writing your book?
Conceiving the plot and developing the idea and creating realistic characters.


Do you have any advice for other writers?
Keep writing! That way I get to read more books!


Finally, Do you have anything specific that you want to say to our readers (The TeenMag)?

Thank you for buying my books and thank you for the love that you shower on me. I get hundreds of mails from teens, saying how much they love my book, and I am really surprised about it. I think nowadays teens have fare more maturity and intelligence that the teenagers of yesterday, and parents and all those ‘authority’ figures have to understand this and give them credit for it! 


-   Akhil Ramesh
  For The Teen Mag


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Introducing -Sagarika Chakraborty - A Calendar Too Crowded - Niyogi Publishers (2012)

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A Calendar Too Crowded is Sagarika's first foray into fiction - an attempt to introduce people to human rights, gender studies and sustainable development through stories. The author brief and book synopsis is attached herewith and you can read more about the book at the FB page - https://www.facebook.com/pages/A-Calendar-Too-Crowded/318541608164764.

About the Author:

Sagarika Chakraborty, born in Kolkata, studied law at National Law University, Jodhpur and
is currently studying management at Indian School of Business, Hyderabad.

Her projects and numerous articles on diverse subjects—corporate governance
principles with special emphasis on emerging and transition economies, globalization,
ethics, monetary economics, religion—have been published in Indian and international
publications. She has presented papers on E-Governance, corporate law principles, sexual
harassment, asset pricing models at international conferences and global forums in
Sydney, Glasgow, Korea, Wellington and Washington D.C. Her paper on E-Governance in
India, has been appreciated in the ‘Working Paper series’ of the World Bank and she has
also won the ‘Best Economic Crisis—Paper Award’ at the World Summit on Economic
Financial Crisis and International Business, 2009, held at Washington D.C. Looking into
her contribution in the domain of policy work she was recently awarded Fellowship by the
Royal Society of Arts, UK.

Apart from delving into serious research work, she has also written light fiction/poetry for
various online and print media, and is an avid salsa enthusiast. This is her first book.


QUOTES FROM EMINENT READERS:

ASHWIN SANGHI :

"Sagarika's writing is gut-wrenching. It reaches deep within and makes you
wonder why deep-rooted gender biases persist. A Calendar Too Crowded is not for the
fainthearted but is certainly a work that needs to be read, particularly by someone like me
who has personally experienced the power of Shakti and the sacred feminine."

VINAY PATHAK :

Actor Vinay Pathak, when told that the story “Sisters by Choice” had drawn inspiration
from his struggle of adoption picked up the book and gave reviews on two stories.

Sisters by Choice: “Got my book in mail today. And the first story I read was sisters
by choice. I can't begin to tell u the emotional journey it took me onto. Needless to say
very well written. The emotional quotient u arrived at was very poignant n touching.

Naked: The prose has a poetic and a poignant mystique that gives the reader a whole
lot to ponder....

DILEEP JHAVERI

“Inspite of witnessing all that we have failed to acknowledge, is observed in detail by
Sagarika. She has read fears hidden behind, apparently placid security of middle class
mind. But, she transcends time and class with changing narrative styles, sharpness
of statements, satire, surprises, sensuality and sense of history and mythology. As a
woman she confronts life and as a human being conquers death!”

ALAKNANDA ROY

“We all wanted to just come and see if Sagarika is really 27 after reading the book.
It gave us shivers and yet we couldn’t put it down. The way she connects the life of a
woman from pre natal stages to death is not only wonderful but gives us the solace
that young writers like her are there who shall guide the society.”

A Calendar Too Crowded
By
Sagarika Chakraborty

A Calendar too Crowded is a collection of 25 short stories and poems, where the concept
revolves around the celebratory days on the calendar we follow, where a large number
of important days are dedicated to women or life in general where women play a major
role. The attempt is not to highlight how in January, there’s a day in India dedicated to girl
children, or how April has come to be officially declared as a month against sexual abuse
throughout the world. The attempt is to delve deeper and analyze whether it is merely
enough to rely on statistics and be complacent in the knowledge that the numbers indicate
a better society in the making, or whether there is an urgent need to look beneath the
covers and realize that despite all such dedicated days, there are 300 odd days when there
is nothing special that life has to offer. Where each day is still an unending drudgery, where
womanhood is cursed and trampled upon.
It is also an attempt to look into houses where everything looks picture perfect on the
surface, but there are blatant cases of domestic violence and gender inequality that have
been swept under the carpet for fear of tainting the family name and image. The attempt
is to bring forth the bruises hidden beneath each lavishly draped body that need to be
highlighted even on days which are not dedicated to campaigns against domestic violence.
All the voices that have found expression in this book through their stories are nameless,
because no name would justify a voice which represents millions. They transgress all
boundaries of geography, religion, age and caste to become one voice— the voice of
womanhood.
Each and every voice in these stories can be connected to any woman you see around you
and they seek to say that all women deserve to be happy every day of the year, because
every day in the calendar of every woman’s life is precious, just like yours.

Highlights of the book:
• The book revolves about the central theme of womanhood and is the first of its kind
where the entire lay out has been based on the theme of a calendar.
• The stories are spun around the days attributed to women and children – Mother’s
Day, Women’s Day, National Day for Girl Child
• The book at ISB Hyderabad was launched by Ashwin Sanghi – Ashwin while lauding
the efforts that has gone into making of the book also felt that he related to the
theme of the book. He emphasized that “Both my two novels revolve around the
theme of Shakti/Nari and somehow thus the very fact that here too women on the
whole is the centre and the effort is to showcase the drudgery they go through, yet
the strength they retain, makes me feel connected to it”.
• The book was jointly launched at ISB, Hyderabad on January 11th 2012 by Ashwin
Sanghi and Dean , Ajit Rangnekar
• The book is also set for a special mention at the upcoming Hyderabad Literary
Festival, 2012 (January 17, 2012)

Release Type: Print, Soft Cover
Price: Rs. 295
Binding: Soft Cover
Imprint: 1st Edition
Genre: Fiction
Page Extent: 189 pages
Pub Date: January 2012 (Niyogi Books, New Delhi)
Territory: Indian

- (Label) Promotion


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LESSONS FOR INDIAN JIHADISTS IN ARAB SPRING

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Victories of reform based Islamic democratic political parties like Ennahda  of Tunisia,justice and development party of Morocco and freedom & justice  party of Egypt in the recent elections herald good news to the pro democratic Islamic parties in India and also show a precedent to Indian jihadists to abjure arms struggle by joining mainstream. 
If people from the Muslim majority countries itself could attain their rights and power through democratic political struggle even  against a military junta as in Egypt,then why cannot minorities in India, “The largest democratic country in the world ?”
            Osama Bin Laden’s ideology and his struggle for 3 decades did not bring any social change in the world except his military victory over Russia in Afghanistan but the raise of reform based Islamic democratic  movements and their struggle through political ways have brought a great social change in the middle east and African continent which we are now witnessing.
            Arms conflict has no support from the people. Even in Syria and Egypt initially when they followed arms conflict, it was a big failure. The armed conflict in Syria against the regime of Hafez al Assad in 1982 which cost lives of more than 20,000 people was failed. In history, in the name of war held against jihad,the despotism strengthened its hand against their people and democracy as in syria and egypt.
            Chairman of International Muslim intellectual council dr Sheik Yusuf al Qardawi recommends Muslims to adapt democratic political ways to attain their rights and shares in power.
            Karl Popper states" democracy is the best form of government because it facilitates for the critical examination and correction of governments and their policies, therefore it isthe most possible way to correct previous policy mistakes and more effectively addresses the social political and economic problems what a given society encounters than any other form of government".
            In a democratic country we have so many ways to demonstrate our grievance, to demand our rights and to attain our shares in power. Then why should we  bear throes ourselves by violence.
            At the same time we have to analyze when and why the call for Islamic jihad was raised in India?. After India’s partition there were riots for 3 decades all over india in the name of religion. The data released by the Home Ministry of India reveals that 80% victims in the riots were minorities.
            Even though the victims were mostly minorities ,there was no call for jihad until the Babur Masjid was demolished in 1992.After that only some of the Muslim youths and leaders lost their hope in secular structure of India. Then Central and State governments not only failed to save the Holy Mosque but also the secular structure of our Indian constitution.
            If we deeply analyze that in India, jihad is not in a formal arms conflict or well organized guerilla warfare as maoists. Homemade jihadist in India till now mostly confine themselves only in revenge activities against riots which took place in Gujarat,Mumbai and Coimbatore except Kashmir. The violence is the tendency to show their anger and injustice done to them but not against Indian democracy as Maoists. There is a good news that we can reform and deviate them from violence by ensuring them justice and rehabilitation.
            while advising them to abjure violence we have some responsibilities. After 10 years still Gujarat riot victims are struggling for justice. State and Central governments should speed up legal process and ensure minorities for  the true justice. Government should implement justice Sachar and Misra commissions without any delay and improve socio economic and educational status of minorities. The government may consider announcing some political package for homemade jihadists who are willing to join  mainstream as north east militants.
        Finally, Indian ruling powers and political parties should welcome neophyte Islamic democratic political parties. We should know the difference between being an*Islamist* and *Extremist*. I think it would be better to quote the lines of Wadah Khanfar (ex-director of al Jazeera) which was published in “THE HINDU”on (nov- 29 2011)
"First we must define our term Islamist. It is used to describe Muslims who participated in the public sphere using Islam as a basis. It is understood that this participation is not at odds with democracy"
            But like West,Indian ruling governments and parties are treating neo Islamic democratic parties as anti secular parties. But they are the one who has truly confined themselves in democracy and secularism of India . They have no hidden agendas like Hindu rastra of hindutuva political  parties. Neo Islamic democratic parties are facing enormous pressures and barricades and there is a plot to expose them as extremist parties. It is not fair for Indian democracy.
By welcoming them we can strengthen the hands of indian democracy and also encourage jihadis to abjure violence and to join main stream.
Now a days majority people of minorities are gathering under these parties.now indian muslims realise and believe that the democracy is the only option to bring stability,justice and power to minorities. If the jihadis miss this golden chance to reform themselves then they will worry as middle east jihadis who are worrying now.


-Ibnu Mohamed
 (ibnumd2020@gmail.com)


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