AUTHOR’S BIO :
Chennai-born, Mumbai-bred G Venkatesh (50) is a ‘global citizen’ serving as Associate Professor at the Karlstad University in Sweden. He has published a memoir, four volumes of poetry, four e-textbooks, numerous scientific publications, crosswords, and magazine articles over time. He is a ‘sustainabilist’ who sketches in his spare time, likes singing, and is a sports enthusiast, cricket in particular. He is committed to animal welfare, and girls’ education, among other things.
1. Who and what inspired you to write?
This was a promise I had made to Varshita. She had wanted to ‘tell her story’ to a local newspaper in Trondheim, when she was in the hospital (about 6 months before she passed away), and had tried her best to contact the newspaper office. Her request was turned down. I told her then that she would recover and then the two of us could co-author her memoir describing her travails, and triumph after all the trials and tribulations. That was not to be, and I recall having stated openly at her wake in front of everyone who had gathered to bid her adieu, that I will make sure that her story will be relayed to the world, and that she will never be forgotten. It was, I must say, she who helped me from her heavenly abode to put pen on paper while locked-down during Covid and hand-write the entire manuscript first (in seven days) before typing the contents in! It is just one of many things which I would like to do, in her memory and honour during the remaining years of my life. Apart from honouring Varshita, the link to the Varshita Venkatesh Sports for Learning Fund (Plan India), furthers her legacy of doing good to humankind.
2. What challenges did you face while writing and getting published?
As I have mentioned in the Preface, I did not maintain any kind of diary, and hence I had to rely entirely on my memory. Not really elephantine and photographic, but guess this time, it aided me. It was not easy to decide what to include and what to leave out. My intention was not to make it a ‘pot-boiler of a read’, but convey facts to readers sincerely and earnestly, without exaggeration. The choice of words matters a lot in that case. However, as I said, I still feel that it was her spiritual presence in my life that helped me onward, whenever I would pause and wonder how to express a particular thought in words.
I was not aware of literary agents and how they functioned, and so I decided to do it the conventional way first. I sent in the requisites to one publisher first and having waited for three months, followed up and got a rejection, tried another one, till I landed up on Hachette India’s website and espied a list of literary agents. I contacted all of them, and got a response from Suhail Mathur of The Book Bakers…and the rest is history, as they say.
3. How did you come to know about the literary agency THE BOOK BAKERS?
As mentioned above, through Hachette India’s website. It was destined to be, And also rightly-timed. Else, I would have been barking up wrong trees for, God-knows-how-long.
4. How did THE BOOK BAKERS help you and what would you like to say about them ?
It was my maiden experience working with a literary agent, and it was unbelievably smooth! I would like to sustain this professional relationship with Suhail and The Book Bakers, as I am keen on writing more in the years to come (different genres). In fact, at the time of responding to this questionnaire, I have submitted another proposal to The Book Bakers, a kind of a sequel to Till Death Do Us Reunite….of course, would like that to be under wraps till it sees the light of day.
5. How supportive is your publisher of your work?
Working with Locksley Hall Publishing was extremely comfortable. Everything was shipshape, right from signing the contract till receiving the author copies. I will continue to collaborate with them, when it comes to promoting the book in the world market, and in the future, on other books hopefully. I wish Locksley Hall Publishing great success in the future!
6. How do you see literary success for yourself?
I have had a short career (6 years) in the print media (niche B2B publications) way back in the late 1990s and early 21st century. I have been a freelancer thereafter – after moving over to academic research and teaching. A writer is nothing without his/her readers. In other words, writers cannot exist, if they do not have readers!
My literary success would depend greatly on the outreach of my writings, and I hope dearly that Till Death Do Us Reunite can reach far and wide and find many readers (and reviewers), and will continue to be a valued part of bookshelves in many homes and libraries in the world. There is also a fond hope that the memoir will be translated into a handful of Indian languages (and perhaps European too). I would like to tie up any literary ‘success’ per se to noble causes, undertaken in memory and honour of Varshita. That would make the ‘success’ transcendental!
7. When can we expect your next book?
As mentioned, the proposal is already lodged with THE BOOK BAKERS. The manuscript is ready. Awaiting a good publisher again (this time, perhaps one who may also be selling through brick-and-mortar shops within India). (Also wonder why a book published in India cannot be made available on www.amazon.com simultaneously, to enable non-Indians to purchase shortly after the launch on www.amazon.in.)
8. How has your experience been working with Locksley Hall Publishing ?
It has been a thoroughly positive experience working with LHP – especially the manner in which a sensitive memoir like Till Death Do Us Reunite, was handled! Everything worked as planned, shipshape. I sincerely hope that Till Death Do Us Reunite, does well in the weeks, months and years to come.
9. Any message or tips for aspiring authors?
As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, ‘All writing happens by the grace of God’. If anyone aspires to write, surely, it is an indication that he/she intuitively senses the grace of God dawning on him/her. Indeed, one may look around and see that the market (read ‘universe’) treats every aspirant differently. Some may seem to be succeeding very easily and much earlier in their lives, while others may need to be patient and persistent and learn to appreciate delayed rewards!
In short, to quote Winston Churchill, ‘Never never give up.’ As is often said (a cliché by now) – Rejections are redirections to where one is expected to be and does not know about.
BOOK NAME : TILL DEATH DO US REUNITE
PUBLISHER : LOCKSLEY HALL PUBLISHING
BOOK SYNOPSIS/BLURB :
They wed at 36, after having given up the hope of matrimony. Five years into a heaven-made marriage, she is diagnosed with breast cancer. She fights valiantly and recovers. They start rebuilding their lives, dodging numerous curveballs. The cancer relapses and metastasizes. She decides to combat it again. The Grim Reaper has other plans. This is an encomium to an adorable creation of God. It’s a testament to the endurance of true love…into the afterlife. Readers will pause, ponder and pray for the soul of the woman who left behind her comforting ‘heart-prints’ in the lives of so many. It is a ‘just-as-it-happened’ narration of facts, sans any exaggeration.
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