Name : Radhika Maira Tabrez

Birthdate: 24^th February 1981

Academics: M.B.A.

Hobbies: Reading, Cooking, Dancing.

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

For as long as I can remember, I have been drawn to the written word. My father is an avid reader, and I undoubtedly get it from him. But my first conscious foray into writing can be ascribed to an incident when I must have been on the cusp of teenage. I remember reading in the newspaper about a thief, who once apprehended, confessed that inability to buy his pregnant wife some expensive medicines is what pushed him to commit that crime. The law, of course, couldn’t care less for such extenuating circumstances; and the man was punished, nevertheless. The news article ended with the information that his heavily pregnant wife is now making the rounds of the police station, begging the authorities to relent. That news item triggered something inside of me. I remember feeling angry, very angry. And also, for the first time, at a loss to express that anger. I decided to pen down my thoughts and share that with my father when he came back from work. And somehow, those few lines, with my father’s help, turned into a whole fictional account of a conversation with a thief and found its way to that year’s Annual School Magazine. A few months later, that whole incident and the ethical dilemma it presents to the society as I had chalked out in my piece, became a theme for the Debate Club’s next session. I remember feeling oddly redeemed that day. The idea that words written on a piece of paper can start conversations on a wider scale and a bigger platform was quite comforting. I think I was hooked.
 
2. Do you believe that self-experience is important to keep your pen flowing? What motivates you to write and just keep writing?

Yes. It most certainly is. It often acts as the glass that magnifies and makes visible, what others can’t see. Although, it is not the only thing. I have seen people who can internalize a situation purely by observation, far more deeply, as compared to those experiencing it. So, acute radar for the happenings around us and for people’s feelings is very helpful to writing. So is travelling. So is interacting with people of various backgrounds and cultures. And of course, so is reading, extensively.
 
I think the ultimate motivation for each writer comes from readers’ feedback and compliments. People loving my work powers my pen like nothing else. 
 
 
3. For a writer, how important it is to be a good reader?

Very. Especially if you want to be a good writer. The width and depth of one’s reading, or lack thereof, always reflects in their work.
 
4. Tell us something about your book. 
My book can be summed up in four lines, which is incidentally the seed from where this entire novel sprouted. It is a poem by Mary Oliver called the Uses of Sorrow, which I had read a long, long time ago. But it is the kind of thing that never leaves you.
It goes:
Someone I loved once gave me.
a box full of darkness.
It took me years to understand.
that this, too, was a gift.
So that is my book in a nutshell. It is a story of how darkness, sometimes, can be the best gift someone can give you. For more, you’ve got to read it. 
 
 
5. Your views on online readership... 

After the initial judging and cringing, I must say I am beginning to warm up to the concept. There is no denying the fabulous reach and convenience of it, which the traditional methods couldn’t manage. It is certainly making more and more people read, so that is always a good thing. There is the environmental benefit, to boot, in the saving of trees; although that is often questioned on account of increasing electronic waste. But all things considered, it is the future of reading. I am just concerned about the quality control. Because of the ease of publishing, anything and everything gets published these days, and that does add to the chaos, making finding good stuff even more difficult.
  
6. Why do we need to sensationalize the topic of feminism? What is feminism for you? 

Feminism to me in one word is equality. There should be no other definition of it. I don’t support sensationalizing Feminism because it is doing more damage than good, I believe. But having said that, I do understand why it happens, invariably. The longer something has been pushed down, the harder and higher it jumps out, when a release presents itself. Owing to this very reason, a lot of things we see in the name of feminism and women’s liberation are sometimes, regrettably, disproportionate response.
 
7. A message for young literature enthusiasts... 
Read. As extensively, as deeply, as variedly as you can. Read what everyone is reading. Definitely read, what everyone else isn’t, yet.
 
 
You can read more about the author on:

Website: http://radhika-maira-tabrez.wixsite.com/radhika-maira-tabrez

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/radhikamtabrez/

Twitter: @RadhikaTabrez

Instagram: @RadhikaTabrez