About the author: Born in Kolkata, India, Adrija (19) is a passionate writer, a nature lover, and an astrophile. She is currently pursuing her undergraduate studies in Aerospace Engineering. She writes short stories, poetries, and quotes revolving around the themes of nature, humanity, and contemporary social issues like poverty and gender equality. Her first poem was published in the anthology ‘The Cascade of Words’ by The Little Booktique Hub publication. Since then, many of her works have been published in various anthologies of The Little Booktique Hub, JEC, and the Write Order publications.
“Perspectives Reality in Bits and Pieces” is her debut poetry and quotes’ collection. She hopes that this collection will help people realise the importance of understanding each other’s perspectives and accepting each other’s differing views. She believes that this will not only help create a society of liberal thinkers, but also inculcate the values of empathy, kindness, respect, and love in their hearts, which will have positive impacts on their lives.
Playing flute, coding, and photography are some of her other areas of interest.
Summary of the book: It’s your perspective and mine,
Two imperfect puzzle pieces
Floating in the abyss of confusion.
Bring one closer to the other,
A picture will be formed.
Differing views, varied perceptions,
One complete reality.
- Can you tell us a little about your book?
“Perspectives: Reality in Bits and Pieces” is a collection of poems and quotes I have written over the past 5-6 years. As the name suggests, this book contains my thoughts and perspectives on different things in life. It portrays the significance of understanding each other’s views and opinions, and using it for the greater good of mankind. It tells us how different perspectives (different puzzle pieces) come together to complete the picture of reality. - Is there a specific event that inspired this story or was this an out of the blue idea?
The poems and quotes in this collection were outcomes of the joyful and grief-stricken moments in my life. Each one of them had a significant role to play in my life, and was instrumental in moulding me into the person I am today. - What got you writing in the first place?
I was always fascinated by how some poems comprised of both a literal or surface meaning, and a figurative or hidden meaning. I loved the English lessons back in school and would listen ardently to the explanations of my teacher. But it so happened a couple of times that I came up with a different interpretation of the poem and when I eagerly went up to her to share my thoughts with her, she said that there could be many interpretations of it, but we were not allowed to explore them all. We were to stick to the one we had been taught. This got me heartbroken. But eventually it made me more curious to dive deeper into the world of contexts and meanings. The process also made me realise that deciphering different views and opinions can actually help me improve my understanding of this world, which can in turn make my life better. This got me writing my very first poem. Writing poetry and quotes has also been a mechanism of recovery for me.What was your impression of your first draft when you read it?
Reading my first draft brought me many realisations and gave me more clarity of my thoughts. It also boosted my confidence in writing.
5 Which part of your story connects the most with you? Why?
Cravings of a Dying Heart
She wanted to write poetry.
Poetry that will not only fill the pages of her diary,
But also fill the dying hearts,
Craving for love and acceptance.
This poem is very close to my heart. It reminds me of those days when reading poetry helped me overcome my fears and insecurities, and propelled me to a path of rediscovery. I hope that this collection serves my purpose of rekindling lost hope, courage, and confidence in your hearts.
6 What makes your book the one to read?
It’s the idea behind writing this book that should be focused on. Understanding each other’s viewpoints and perspectives will give us more clarity of our lives and thoughts. People will find the content of this book relatable because it was inspired by real life experiences and learnings
7 What was the best advice you got while writing?
The best advice I got while writing was from my uncle. He said, “Leave the poem or story halfway and come back to it later, maybe after 3-4 months, if you get stuck in between and are unable to proceed any further. Revisiting it after some time might help you see it from a different perspective and provide you with better ideas to complete it.”
8 Who’s your all-time favourite author? Which book of his/hers made you fall in love with them?
I am a lover of crime fiction and poetry. To be honest, there are many authors who have inspired me, and it will be difficult to mention only a single person’s name. Rabindranath Tagore, Arthur Conan Doyle, Satyajit Ray, Enid Blyton, O. Henry, Ruskin Bond, Sarojini Naidu, and Thomas Hardy are some of my favourite authors and poets.
9 What is your evergreen tip to the writers out there?
As writers, we have to be open to constructive criticism. Contrasting ideas and opinions teach us a whole lot of things. We should give them some thought and then decide if they are relevant or not. We should not reject them at the very beginning.
10 What was your hardest scene to write?
There wasn’t one. My thoughts had always been searching for a vent to escape from my mind, and when they found it (ink on paper), they just flowed out of me like blood oozing out of a cut.
11 Do you have another plot brewing?
Yes, I do! It’s poking its head out from between the closed curtains of my mind!
Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.in/dp/9357763600?ref=myi_title_dp
