Author Interview : Priyam Acharya
Hello everyone, Today I am going to introduce you to the author of 'Seasons' and 'The Way That We Are'
Let's start!
1- First of all introduce yourself to our readers.
A: I’m a lawyer by qualification – I’ve been retained at different law firms during the span of seven years of my career. Intellectual property laws and corporate laws were my principle areas of practice during that time. Writing, on the other hand was always a passion – dating back to my school days. I was always inclined towards languages and the humanities. But I guess it was only after spending five years studying law and then seven years in the profession did I gather the courage or rather you may say got the push to give it all up to pursue my real calling – that was writing.
2- Tell us something about your latest book 'The Way That We Are".
A: I began working on The Way that We Are (TWTWA) within a couple of months after Seasons went live in 2019. When I came up with Seasons, initially I wasn’t very sure if my next would also be a collection of free verses – but the works which form a part of TWTWA have been very instinctive, sometimes, almost in a spur of the moment. The lockdown of 2020 was a kind of a roadblock for me in the very beginning – I was just not able to find the right frame of mind to write or even start my laptop for so many weeks together. It was a rough patch and I struggled a lot to get any ideas. Eventually, I made peace with all those chaotic thoughts that kept on brewing within. And that’s why and how I can say that most of the collection was conceptualized during the phase of the lockdown and pandemic blues. The day to day struggles that we all face while dealing with our own emotions and relationships, the euphoria of being in love, the pain of being away from someone we love, the uncertainties that we live with, dead relationships that we still hold on to, our relationship with God – it’s all so complex! But at the end of the day, that’s what makes us. And that’s the whole idea behind TWTWA. It's about embracing each of these elements that make us the way that we are. And being at peace with ourselves and our lives.
3 - Please throw some light on your previous book 'Seasons'.
A: Seasons was actually a surprise – for me, as much as it might have been for all those who knew me as a lawyer who was interested in writing! After I quit the profession, I maintained a document which had my random scribblings and ideas – some of those I also shared on Instagram. As I got some appreciation from people, I guess I found that confidence that I can actually compile these to form a book. And Seasons was ready within a span of about four to five months. And it was the success of Seasons, that pushed me to work harder for TWTWA.
4 - Both the books are poetries .How do you conceive you poems? Are they automatic or do you think over each poem for a long time?
A: I’m an introvert, not much of a talker. But I find it very easy to convey my thoughts in writing. And I always tend to find inspiration in my day to day activities which may be quite monotonous otherwise. I’m a chronic ponderer too – I can go many years behind and remember some situation and wonder, what must have happened after that? What must have happened to those people? I’m that kind of an over thinker. So I guess, that just helps me visualize things better and make it a little poetic too. I can say, mostly the works come to my mind instantly. I sometimes, improvise on them at a later stage.
5 - Do you research on other poets' work?
A: Not really. To be honest, I don’t have a methodical approach to writing. It’s more about madness for me. I do love to read other peoples’ works for sure, but I rarely analyse or look into technical aspects of a work. If it touches my heart, if I think of it even after I’ve put the book down, I can say it has left a deep impression on me!
6 - Did you always want to become a poet?
A: No, I never imagined that I’d be a poet.
7 - How do you handle negative feedbacks?
A: During Seasons, it surely affected me when someone came up to me and said, I didn’t like this about the book or I don’t agree with xyz that you’ve written. But in two years since that, I’ve come to understand that writing and opinions are always going to coexist. Its fine if someone likes my work, it’s also okay if they don’t – as long as my work gives me a sense of fulfilment. If the feedback is constructive criticism, then I definitely try to look at it objectively. But if its just an opinion or some disagreement with an idea, it doesn’t really affect me anymore. In fact, one of the poems in TWTWA (Chasing Perfection) is about art and criticism.
8 - Are you planning other books? How soon can your readers expect your next book?
A: Yes I hope to continue this awesome journey! Work is forever in progress! At the moment I’ve not really set a timeline though!
9 - How has your journey as a poet been so far?
A: It’s been incredible – that’s the least I can say. It has altered me in more ways that I ever imagined. And not even once, have I ever wondered why did I choose this for myself! And the transformation – evolution is perineal. That’s the best part about being in this creative arena.
10 - Who is your favourite Indian and foreign poet?
A: I love reading works by Amrita Pritam, Manto, Jaun Elia and also Gulzar sahab among Indian writers. I somehow envy all these geniuses for their command over Urdu, Punjabi and Hindi. I write in none of these languages but I believe poetry in these three languages somewhere outshines English. It’s an opinion – no offence to lovers of the English language!
And I’m a huge fan of Kahlil Gibran and Rumi – the absolute genius. Among writers generally I idolize Kafka, Tolstoy and Orhan Pamuk.
11. What does your family think of your writing?
A: I like to believe that they like it! On a serious note however, they have been supportive of all of my decisions so far. Aaditya, my husband was in fact the one that first floated the idea of coming up with Seasons as a book. So if it weren’t for him, Seasons wouldn’t have been a reality at all. My mom is another person who is very much involved in my work. I still look up to her during my editing phases. It’s a mess otherwise handling it on my own! She’s so much better and more organized!
12 - Any message for your readers?
A: You are never an embarrassment. Just be yourself and you are always enough – the way that you are!
Thanks for reading.
