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This week: A Writer and An Activist Edited by: THANKFUL SONALI Library Class!  
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Pankaj Sekhsaria has worked on the issues of the Andaman & Nicobar for two decades. He has authored four books on the islands, the most recent of which are 'Islands in Flux - the Andaman and Nicobar story' (HarperCollins India, 2017) and 'The Last Wave - an island novel (HarperCollins India, 2014)..
In this interview, I ask Pankaj about writing and activism, and he gives me some fascinating responses. |
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Dear Reader,
I met Pankaj during the launch of his book 'The Last Wave'. We kept in touch over the occasional email, and then met again at the launch of his second book, 'Islands in Flux'.
What intrigued me was the passion and energy which Pankaj exuded on both occasions. He had a cause, he had a medium (writing) -- and it looked like he was building up an audience. People who visited the Andaman and Nicobar Islands as tourists without realising the issues the islands are facing, were now suddenly aware. Youngsters who had had no idea of the rich ecosystem of the islands, prior to reading The Last Wave were now inviting Pankaj to speak to them.
And it gave me hope. It made me think -- we writers can make a difference.
Here's a bit of background about the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andaman_and_Nicobar_Islands
And here's my e-interview with Pankaj.
1. Why do you write?
There are multiple reasons I think, but mainly two:
a) There is the process of communication that I enjoy a lot. A lot of my work has been in the environment and I also feel that I may be able to help influence decisions and processes related to the environment and for this, communication is fundamental. I’ve also had the opportunity all these years of traveling, seeing new places and learning a lot along the way. Writing is also a process of sharing with others the beauty of what I have seen and experienced and also making my readers aware of the concerns I have and of the possibilities I see.
b) The other reason is more process related – I mean, I write because I like the process of writing. There is a constant dialogue that goes on between the writer, the language, the words that constitute the language and ideas that emerge. In some senses it’s like playing a game with the language but with oneself as well. Writing can be a very immersive process. That does not happen always, but when it does it can be a hugely exhilarating thing and I’m writing also to explore that exhilaration. I’m tempted and attracted to find more of those moments and spaces.
Often, one sees oneself become a mere medium for an idea or for a flow of language or for the emergence of a particular configuration of language and ideas that is not of one’s creation. It emerges from somewhere else that is deep, perhaps the subconscious and those are very enjoyable and insightful moments…
2. Given your reasons for writing, what are the opportunities and challenges presented by: a. Fiction v/s Non Fiction b. Book v/s Articles in Periodicals?
I think each form of writing, each expression, each output has its distinct characteristics be it compulsions of the writer, of the reach and readership, of the impact it can have and the time frame it operates in. Articles in periodicals and newspapers, for instance, have a sense of immediacy that a book can never have; a book (fiction or non-fiction) on the other hand offers a canvas that a periodical can never offer. Books perhaps offer more creative space, but a periodical has an instant readership that a book is unlikely to gain.
The challenge for me is to find the right balance because I do believe I can write in and for these different formats. And the balance needed is multi-dimensional: discipline of writing, use of language, also the tone of what the piece of writing should have. A newspaper article has a particular purpose and context and the book has another – that is what has to be kept in mind
3. What has been your most rewarding moment as an activist and/or as a writer?
There have been many …
As an activist one big moment of success was when we managed to get a very good set of orders by the Supreme Court of India in 2002 related to various aspects of the ecology and tribal rights in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
It is also very rewarding when I am talking about these issues (of wildlife and conservation) to children. It is great always to see their sense of wonder and their curiosity about the world we live in. IF we paid more attention to the questions they asked, we’d be doing much better in most spheres.
As a writer – I think the publishing in 2014 of The Last Wave, my debut novel was a very special moment. I had never ever thought that I’d write a novel in the first place and then when I did it took me 7 years to find a publisher. So getting it published was a great experience. Also some of the responses to that book, particularly from the Andaman islands have been hugely rewarding. I saw people in the islands own the book in a very special way – as a book about the islands, as their own book…
4. What has been your most frustrating (or saddest) moment as an activist and/or a writer?
As an activist – it has been hugely frustrating that significant parts of the above mentioned Supreme Court orders were never implemented in the Andaman &Nicobar Islands. The orders were passed in 2002 and even today, 15 years later, there are parts that remain un-implemented.
The other thing that always makes me cringe is to see a tree being cut down. So much tree cutting is happening today, particularly in our cities and particularly for road-widening – it is nothing short of a tragedy. A tree is such a magnificent entity but we seem to have no recognition, leave alone respect for what it is and what tree can do for us.
As an author – I wish my books would reach out more and be read by more people. The disappointment (not so much frustration) is that the books are not even visible after a certain point of time. So many potential readers don’t even know that these books exist and this I guess is true for most books except those by a few writers. There is a larger challenge here for the publishing industry and all of us who are associated with it.
5. Has there been any occasion when you were really scared, and had to grit your teeth and go on?
Scared, not really, but disappointments, yes and I’ve mentioned a couple earlier. I think there are other people – activists and writers who are doing much more cutting edge work than I am and the risks they are taking and battles they are fighting are amazing.
Having said that, the big challenge is to keep pursuing the interests and issues that one is involved in. It’s important because institutional and also public memory is short, and issues take a long time for a solution to be found. That is quite a challenge
6. Given your reasons for writing is writing an occupation? A passion? A responsibility? Something else?
It’s not really an occupation, because being only a writer does not pay enough (except, again, in few cases of people whose names are well known).
As for the rest you mention – yes writing is a little of a lot else. It does change however from time to time in the sense sometimes it is more passion and less leisure, other times it is more responsibility and less passion. But always a combination of a number of things, I would think. The idea of responsibility is an important one in my case. At least in my earlier years, I felt that I have been privileged with the life I have led, with the resources I have, with the education I could get and did feel a responsibility of writing about people, places and issues that were on the margins. That sense of responsibility still remains but much else has been added to it now!
7. When and why did you start writing? Is there any particular person who encouraged you? When and why will you stop writing? (Do you have a ‘if this happens I’ll never write again’ feeling?)
My interest in writing began, interestingly, because of writing letters. These were my early days of college and while I was not a loner, I did not have a very large circle of friends. Those were also the years I was learning about environmental issues and thinking about things that as a teenager are full of questions and have no straightforward answers. There were a couple of friends who lived in different places and we would regularly exchange hand written letters. Remember, this was the era of no email – even computers were hardly there. And I would write really long letters – running into many pages. And they would write back often saying they enjoyed reading what I wrote and the way I wrote. Those responses, I think, sowed the seeds for me and that is where I began thinking of writing more seriously. Being an author, however, was never on my list of things to become. The writing progressed then from letters to friends, to letters to newspapers, to articles and photo-features and eventually, now, to books.
I haven’t thought about the ‘not writing’ question ever. When I’ll stop, I’ll stop. I don’t see that happening, but when it does, it’ll happen!
8. Who is your favourite author?
There are many – but one’s I’ve enjoyed reading include Ram Guha, Arundhati Roy, Amitav Ghosh, Alexis Wright, Madhu Ramnath – there are others too!
9. If you could become one fictional character for a day, whom would you choose and why?
The truth of the matter is that I don’t read as much fiction as I should – so I have a limitation there in answering your question. On the other hand, I do find it difficult to answer such speculative questions and particularly where I am supposed to be involved myself. Writing about it as an author is one thing – thinking about oneself in that situation is quite another
10. If you could change one thing about the past, what would it be and why?
I think, knowing history and engaging with it is important – but am not so sure about changing it. Alternative histories are in some senses at the heart of good fiction and non-fiction writing. The challenge for the future is often a conquest over the past and we need to keep engaging and re-engaging with history all the time.
11. ANYTHING else you would like to say to fellow writers and readers, that I might have missed out. Anything whatever.
Two things – Everyone can be a writer. It may not be easy, but it’s not difficult either
For writers I would say that writing is hard work and one has to keep at it. The process of playing with words, language and ideas can be exhilarating but it demands discipline and perseverance. It is a process of constant engagement and refinement and more one works with the text, sharper and neater it emerges.
12. Final question: So -- can a writer really make a difference?
Yes absolutely. And you don't need to be a writer. Every single individual can make a difference!
Thanks for reading!
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Thank you for the responses to "For Authors Newsletter (April 19, 2017)"
An apple a day.... 
Interesting, Sonali. Thanks for sharing that. I think I would really like the Hindi way.
brom21 
Poetry format variation is wonderful. The Japanese haiku and the French/Latin cinquain are two examples. The only time I ever did these two forms was when I was in college. I'm a sucker for couplets. I wonder if there is a kind of Middle Eastern poem form. i think I'll check that out. Thanks fro the newsletter!
DB Cooper 
Hungarian is an exotic language but I love it.
Katya the Poet
I loved learning this about the differences in presentation styles in English and Hindi poetry readings!! Thank you. I gave a reading last year that a friend attended and loved. He told me I created a kind of cabaret style, an intimacy, talking directly to audience members, etc. My direct address of people was between poems, not during them, but I do hope I did a little of what you describe in Hindi readings! This will give me courage for the next time!
Monty 
Thank you for an Authors news Letter that delves into Poetry.
hbk16
As human beings from different nations, we express our ideas using a transcriber which is the language.
Why do languages differ from one nation to another? Because we belong to different cultures, then we express our ideas differently.
The language stays a means to transmit our ideas whatever is our culture.But whether our language is a mother tongue or a foreign one, the usage of a specific language could know some differences according to someone culture and to her/his way to express ideas to which she /he is accustomed when using her/his mother tongue language.That is to say that the influence of someone's mother tongue language is evident on her/his second language.
For example:In french we say:un ciel bleu/The mistake is to say this same expression in English:a sky blue , a thing which is false.We say instead of this: a blue sky.
That is why most often we can recognize towards a writing whether it belongs or not to a native.
Zeke
This is a very interesting comparison indeed. I wonder if the two audiences react differently. Zeke
Krago
Hello Sonali,
"Similarly, the audience expresses its appreciation loudly while the poet is reading ..."
Did you know that Arab audiences at poem-reading events behave similarly? They repeat certain words or phrases of the poem to express appreciation of its beauty.
Christopher Roy Denton 
Oy, Sonali! Oy, Sonali! Oy, Sonali! Why'd ya think English poetry's more formal, eh? Why'd ya? Why'd ya? Why'd ya?
There's nowt less formal an filled wi dialect than proper grand Tyke Talk verse! Keep munching the cocoa infused milk, sugar and fat concoction, my dear! Bob 
Prosody
You're right about the power of repetition. We rarely use it in contemporary English poetry; yet it finds itself in music lyrics all the time. What was the last song you heard that didn't repeat/refrain itself (ad nauseum)!
Thanks for the post. Prosody
Brandiwyn🎶 
Sonali, I also find this fascinating! I hope some of our other bilingual members comment with trends from other languages.
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