ALSphere Foundation
To celebrate the spirit of womanhood this Women’s Day, we interviewed the pack of women who have contributed to ALS in a special way. These women have been relentlessly working to widen the reach of literature, and quietly impacting the lives of other writers in a meaningful manner.
I am a poet and a short story writer. I am glad to be an integral part of Literary revolution ALS. I am a curious learner and a believer of social interactive learning and peer development. In my short journey as a writer, I realised the more we read, the better our writing would be. My writings cover the emotional aspects of women, and it really inspires me to portray the real womanhood.
Anita Chand
Writing begins as a natural expression to my perception of the world around and the experiences I gather in varied environments. My voice takes the form of various writing genres – stories, poems and essays; but essays manifest my literary attitude of expression. A genuine writer prefers to be autobiographical and thus, lay out the facts with a creative tone and a message for the readers. In due course of time, the writing takes the form of creative Non-Fiction. We learn to deal with the truths of our life. And cogitate the world around us meticulously. Writing, as Naipaul says “..is the only noble calling….”
Bishakha Sarma
Writing became my passion at a time when I was searching for myself and my purpose. It became a medium of expressing those relentless thoughts that shrouded my mind, and those hidden emotions that I shoved away from time to time. It’s been seven years, and I am still learning and exploring the depths of this cathartic medium of expression. From starting as a novice to currently being the Editor of the Literary Magazine ALSphere, I have stumbled along the way, but have traversed a long path. I have learnt that it’s important to find your tribe, keep networking with other writers, and learn along the way. You can imbibe an ocean of knowledge from reading the writings of others around you. There is no competition, and there’s always room for more writers.
Vandana Bhasin
Life is a journey of struggles, joys, sorrows, defeats, and victories. And a writer brings it all out to get that inner solace by expressing it. As a writer when I dive into the depths of my oceanic heart, I witness the soul sneak, peep, tiptoe, or lash out its energy in motion – sprinkling and showering on the piece of paper.
Writing is a skill that can be developed and improved over time, with practice and only practice. The trick is tobe ready to catch that energy in motion, harness it with your passion, and witness it fly up into the sky with its signature statement, with a glint in the eyes, and for the world to witness in awe. My mentor’s words resonate even today, “ If you want to write, read more and if you want to read, write more!”
Kiren Babal
I firmly believe that writing is therapeutic, it is the best way of expressing myriad emotions that otherwise remain subdued . Every person has a different method of expression, and mine was through my writing, primarily poetry in Hindi and English. I started quite young ,but gathered courage to publish my first book at the age of 50 years, and there has been no looking back since then. Being a bilingual poet, I have successfully published three books of poetry, contributed to innumerable anthologies, and published my website to document my literary journey.
As writers, we continue to learn and grown. It’s important to read literature of well-established authors and also keep abreast with the current world of literature.
Nisha Tandon
I began my writing career with my stint as a documentation officer in an organization under the Ministry of Rural Development. From articles to non-fiction to fiction, the journey has been varied and rich. Writing has been cathartic for me, and I find it highly therapeutic. Habitual writing, no matter how good or bad it is, makes a huge difference. Writing straight from the heart always makes an impact. And reading books and writings of others is a great tool of reflection and introspection.
Sreemati Sen
Mothering a child who is constantly living under the terror of falling and hurting himself is an unseen battle which we are fighting together. My life has never been easy with challenges of my child which are not easy to overcome. We still wake up every morning for the last 15 years to fight the same battle that left us exhausted the night before, the fight for service, the fight for people to understand my child, fight for knowledge and the quiet fight within myself, wondering if I have left any stone unturned for my precious son. These unhealed wounds have taught me to become compassionate and help others move through the painful episodes of their lives. I have dealt with the rest of the world in a graceful manner, maintaining my dignity and unshaken by my internal fears.
I have hardly inspired anyone through my words, but rather my ability to endure stressful time with gratitude, the grit to fight against the impossible odds, determination to overcome hardship with grace, and my simplicity combined with a willingness to help other special need parents have inspired people around me. I don’t need to be exceptional to inspire others, every small act of kindness done out of love and empathy creates a ripple effect of positivity in others’ lives.
Zeba Hashmi
