AUTHOR’S BIO:
Born in Guwahati, Assam, Mr. Ashish Kalita considers himself an expert in day-dreaming and making imaginary connections where none exist. Reading is his life-breath; writing feeds his soul. Apart from general boredom, the inspiration for his first book “FAREWELL SEASON – a palette of nine stories” has been to repay something to the wonderful institution of books and stories.
A graduate in Chemical Engineering, Mr. Ashish is an Assam Civil Services (ACS) officer, presently posted as Assistant Commissioner cum Executive Magistrate in North Salmara Sub-Division.
Beared and reared in a middle-class family, Mr. Ashish’s father had a transferrable job which saw him change places and schools frequently. This often exposed him to dynamic cultural landscapes, which in turn inculcated in him a unique perspective towards people and places – the stages were different, but the actors were all the same; and the stories interesting.
Even in his own work life, Mr. Ashish has witnessed a similar variety; with experience of working in variegated fields – academia, research, taxation and presently in the civil services. His involvement in developmental works with community participation has given him an opportunity to learn about the lifestyles and aspirations of people of different communities and geographical locations. Somehow, he feels that this has enriched his understanding of human behaviour in general, and inculcated in him an element of compassion, which at times reflect in his stories.
Mr. Ashish is unmarried and is currently working on his first novel (not a cause and effect in his opinion).
1. Who and what inspired you to write?
I don’t know if I can exactly pinpoint to a particular person or some specific event that inspired me to become a writer. However, I think it had more to do with the kind of upbringing I had, the people I have met, and the life situations I have come across.
A very prominent part of my childhood was spent in my grandparents’ house – where my two favourite past times would be listening to stories from my grandfather and memorising lyrics of songs played on his gramophone. My grandfather had a special knack for storytelling. When I look back now, I realize he enjoyed telling stories. I can still vividly recollect his animated expressions and energetic tone when he used to narrate those stories. My grandfather was also a voracious reader. He often told me to inculcate reading as a habit, which I conveniently ignored.
It was actually during my Engineering days that I developed a true taste for fiction. I realized that neither the course curriculum nor the career prospects interested me much. I read more novels and stories in that four year period than in my entire life. Another habit that I developed during that period was writing a diary. Infact I took that practice quite seriously – all the emotions and details poured into paper at the end of the day. Soon I began to write in blogs and college magazines, for which I received appreciation from many fronts. Infact, a few of my batchmates even asked me to seriously consider writing as a career option. At that time, I had just laughed it off.
It was during the middle of 2018 that I began blogging as a past-time. Apart from work, the only two things that I invested my time were in the gym and on online blogging platforms. I wrote on Quora, Blogspot and soon on Medium. I wrote in different writing groups on Facebook (initially movie reviews). A few of my posts got rave response from readers both at home and overseas. My writing style was appreciated even by copyeditors and already published authors. It boosted my confidence and I began to consider writing on a bigger platform. It was also during that time that I was exploring more and more books in the e-format. I was exposed to a brand new genre of writers, especially self-published ones. Most of them were working professionals who pursued writing as a hobby. The idea of bringing out a small publication of my own began to take shape. I had many stories in my mind, inspired by personal life events and also some influenced by movies and novels. However, at that moment, I did not realize that my idea of a small publication would turn into a full-fledged book.
2. What challenges did you face while writing and getting published?
Managing time was the biggest challenge I faced. As a full time working professional, it is difficult to make time for writing a book. However, the fact that I did not have a pre-conceived notion of “writing a book” helped. I simply wanted to give shape to some of the stories I had in my mind. I wrote only when I felt like writing, not as a compulsion to finish an assignment. Moreover, I used writing as a form of relaxation and recreation after my hectic work hours. At the end of the day, it became a ritual for me to write. And one of the interesting things that I discovered was that writing is more like telling a story to oneself. And at times, the story tells itself. So it’s almost entertaining in that way.
Even while I was writing the book, I was informed by many how hard it is to find a traditional publisher. I was soon to experience it practically. There were long waiting periods and sometimes no responses at all. For a brief period of time, I even stopped sending my work to publishers. Soon a good friend of mine told me about this concept of approaching a literary agency. After doing some research, I came to know about The Book Bakers(TBB). I found their approach and initial responses quite amiable. I had a telephonic conversation with Mr. Suhail Mathur and my confidence increased in the agency. The procedure of TBB was very methodical and I especially liked the time-bound planning. I consider myself lucky that I got the guidance of The Book Bakers, who did the bulk of the work of finding a publisher for me.
Finally four publishing houses were ready to publish my work, out of which I had decided to work with Alcove Publishers.
Alcove is an amazing publishing house, especially for a debutant like me. The whole team was extremely co-operative and accommodative of my point of views. They also provided valuable suggestions and feedbacks at every step.
3. How did you come to know about the literary agency THE BOOK BAKERS?
Upon coming to know about my inability to find a publisher, a writer friend of mine suggested approaching a literary agent. After doing some research on my own, I came to know about The Book Bakers. I found their initial response quite amiable. Soon I had an impressive telephonic conversation with Mr. Suhail Mathur and I decided to go with The Book Bakers.
4. How did THE BOOK BAKERS help you and what would you like to say about them?
The Book Bakers have been of immense help in getting my book published.
Initially, The Book Bakers provided me with a timeline of how the entire publication process would work. It enabled me to pre-plan my work schedule, which was valuable because of my busy professional life.
There were a couple of submission requirements in the initial stages (blurb, story synopsis, Author bio etc.). I found it helpful on the part of Mr. Suhail Mathur to explain to me the utility and importance of these submissions and also how to prepare them.
The Book Bakers was supportive at every stage of the publication process and they were eager to respond to any sort of query or doubt I had as a first time author. The best thing I liked about them was that they stuck to their time line.
Eventually I had four publishers who were ready to publish my book. Again, I was faced with the dilemma of making a choice out of the four, as I was new to the publication world. In this, Mr. Suhail Mathur again came to my rescue as he explained to me dispassionately the strong points of each publication house, without being partial to anyone in particular. This enabled me to make a clear decision of choosing the right publication house for myself.
All in all, it was a great experience and a fruitful affair working with The Book Bakers. I admire their professionalism, their methodical approach to work and their commitment to bring out good stories to the world.
5. How do you see literary success for yourself?
Literary success for me is something more than getting copies of my book sold. What would be more fulfilling is to see readers enjoying my stories. I would love to see people relating to the characters, finding joy in the twists and turns and simply having a good time.
6. When can we expect your next book?
Probably a year from now. My next book is a novel, dealing with strained relationships and aspirations in post-modernist India. The story is again based in several locations of India, but mostly in the Northeast. The storyline tries to look at seemingly serious life events through a lighter lens.
7. Any message or tips for aspiring authors?
I believe that the goal should be to become a writer, not an author (going by the clichéd definition that a writer whose work has been published is an author). The story is what matters; content is king. You need to tell the story. And you need to tell it well. The publishing part comes later. You need to have faith that if the story has strength, it will find a way to reach its readers some way or the other.
BOOK NAME: FAREWELL SEASON
PUBLISHER: ALCOVE PUBLISHERS
BOOK SYNOPSIS/BLURB:
A death-row convict in a lonely cell pens down his last letter for his ‘successor’ to draw solace during the final hours. Six year old Bokul has a secret – a recurring dream that torments him; a new girl arrives in his class, and they soon realize that their dream worlds connect them. An old couple of Delhi experiences alienation in the modern world…until one rainy day in February when they realize that not all things change in a changing world. Recently out of a start-up failure, a reclusive Ashim has a chance encounter with a school friend…and a spark is lit, again. Sonku Gupta differentiates no right from wrong when it comes to devouring the pleasures of life...until one festive season, when fate takes a turn. Dhrubo has a bizarre experience inside his head, resting on the edge of an epiphany after an inebriated get-together with his old college mate. Dulal, a newly recruited College professor reconnects to his roots on receipt of his first salary in the backdrop of World War II era Assam. Sunaina and Abhishek’s marriage is breaking apart; set as monologues, the young couple and their parents make honest confessions about their perceptions of the institution of marriage. Otherwise dislocated in his job, a chance discovery of a facet of his boss’s personal life changes Mohan’s perspective towards him.
“Farewell Season” is a collection of nine fictional stories set in India, typically in the National capital and the Northeast.
The book is a collage of human emotions in varied situations and time-periods. The Indian cultural leitmotif is a subtle yet essential theme in the stories, albeit presented in a way palatable to the global reader across all age-groups.
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