1. When did u find yourself lost in the world of words? 

Ever since I was in primary school, I think. As a child I began with picture books and fairy tales, moved on to English and Hindi comics such as the Indrajal series – and at some point switched to Enid Blytons,  Nancy Drews and The Three Investigators series, etc. All that reading inspired me to write my own stories. I still remember the protagonists of my stories at that time used to be white children with names like Jack and Lucy. 

2. Do you believe that self-experience is important to keep your pen flowing? What motivates you to write and just keep writing?

Well, of course nothing can beat first-hand experience – seeing, hearing, touching, feeling something for yourself.  However, it’s not always possible. Besides, different people go through different experiences in their lives and one lifetime is too short a time for a person to experience everything. We hail from varying backgrounds, have different levels of education, move in different circles. In a sense we are defined and even limited by heredity and environment. It’s impossible to draw only on self-experience to write wide-ranging stories; if we depend only on that, we’ll be writing the same kind over and over again.

Very often we come across other people’s stories or experiences that move us or affect us just as strongly. For instance, just look at your news headlines every day. What we need is sensitivity and compassion – the ability to empathize and sympathize – to be able to identify with and tell those stories. In fact, a number of my stories come from other people’s experiences.

You must have heard: a writer writes because he/she has to; because it is impossible not to. That’s just the way it is. We write because we have tales to share, something to say; we write because not writing is not an option.

3. For a writer, how important it is to be a good reader?

Extremely important. It is crucial for exposure to various ideas, philosophies, schools of thought, writing traditions, the whole art and craft of writing. These days many writers, I know, feel otherwise, but I think the significance of reading – and reading good literature especially – simply cannot be discounted.

4. Do you believe that writing is a therapy? What is writing for you?

Absolutely. Writing for me certainly is – and has always been – a cathartic experience. Once upon a time it used to be a diary. Now it’s fiction.

5. Your views on online readership. 

Even though I’m old school and love the printed word (there’s nothing like holding a physical book in your hand), I understand the importance of virtual space – its reach and growing popularity, elasticity and sense of immediacy, the absence of physical/geographical boundaries.

Since we are fortunate enough to live in a world where taking advantage of all of these is possible, it is imperative that we do. I run an online literary journal myself: www.earthenlampjournal.com 

6. Why do we need to sensationalize the subject of feminism? What is feminism for you? 

I don’t think we need to ‘sensationalize’ feminism at all. It’s a pity that a lot of people still misunderstand the basic concept. I have come across school teachers, women themselves, who treat it as a taboo subject.  Most (mis)understand it as man-hating, but refuse to make the effort to read/explore/correct themselves. Nor do I support unreasonable/immature behaviour or fighting with the opposite sex simply for the sake of it. It’s not a ‘competition’ against men.

At the core of the original movement was the simple idea that women are human beings too and should be treated with the same kind of respect and dignity as men. I think anybody who believes that and works towards it, whether man or woman, is a feminist. 

7. A message for young literature enthusiasts... 

Read. Read. Read. Read good books, read good literature. It doesn’t matter whether you understand all of it or not. But it’s important to keep at it. There’s no age for reading. If you’re the kind who’s always too busy, you need to learn to make time. Read for fifteen minutes before you go to bed, or keep a book in the car. When you are stuck in a traffic jam for half an hour, use that time to read instead of complain.

8. What’s your book, Turtle Dove, all about?

Turtle Dove is a collection of short stories about forbidden relationships or relationships the society considers taboo. It’s an exploration of sex and sexuality, sometimes alternative sexualities. 

[Divya Dubey is the author of the book "Turtle Dove". She also runs an online literary journal : www.earthenlampjournal.com.]