And so the second batch of Anita’s Attic graduated and what a fun day it turned out to be:
A quick rehearsal in the morning interspersed with food and giggles.
And then the walk down the boulevard where Namma Metro had standees and posters of the event.
The event itself ran on greased wheels. With Sudhakar Rao, the former Chief Secretary and Jayanth Kodkani Deputy Resident Editor TOI doing the honours so graciously.
The readings, the handing out of certificates and good byes over coffee and bondas.
There was an innate sweetness to the day that acquired a poignanacy when two writers from Season 1 Sathya Ramaganapathy and Archana Vijay arrived to show their solidarity.
[symple_column size=”two-third” position=”last” fade_in=”false”] I am : Originally from Kerala but now settled in Bangalore
Presently biding my time : As trying to be one too many things – a brand manager by day and a writer by night
As I secretly follow my dream of : A novelist and short story writer
As good as : A short story writer as Manto and a novelist like Amitav Ghosh or Milan Kundera
Part of the : Creative Writing Mentorship Program from 5 September – 14 November, 2015
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About being a part of Anita’s Attic Creative Writing program
I have always felt this constant desire to write something but besides a few rants on social media and a some attempts at poetry and writing short stories my writing did not amount to anything substantial. Being selected for Anita’s Attic Mentorship program gave my confidence a huge boost and with Anita’s help, and the assignments she gives us writers every week, I have strengthened my writing and have been able to find my true voice. Along with this the fantastic conversations we had with authors, people from the world of publishing and editors etc. opened my eyes to the ground realities and gave me a better understanding of the literary world. The Saturdays spent here will be forever etched in my memory and I am surely going to miss it.
Sandeep’s reading of his part as author of the collaborative fiction piece, “Daddy Dearest”
About being a part of Anita’s Attic Creative Writing program
I think what I liked most about the writing program is the atmosphere. I met people who share the same passion and love for writing as I do, and though that isn’t hard to find, it is hard to find people who are dedicated to the craft and want to put onto paper something meaningful, that will last decades, if not centuries.
The course itself was a mixture of startling realizations and pleasant reinforcements of what writing is and what it takes for your work to be seen. I met a lot of people who are established in the field and gained a lot of first-hand information that will help in future endeavours. The habit of writing was cultivated and I hope to carry forward all the things I learned in this course. It also gives you the opportunity to improve and push yourself forward in a way that few other courses can.
It was fun, educational, and refreshing. I met some wonderful people and I will genuinely be sad to let it go.
Recent published work : My short story ‘On the usefulness of stars‘ was recently published in the online magazine Madras Mag as well as ‘The Madras Mag Anthology of Creative Writing’.
Sriranjani reading of her part as author of the collaborative fiction piece, “A Pound of Flesh”
[symple_column size=”two-third” position=”last” fade_in=”false”] I am : From Bangalore, an artist, photographer, designer and dreamer
Presently biding my time : Fighting to save young artists (teaching art and craft to primary school children)
As I secretly follow my dream of : writing books, making films, telling stories
As good as : The magic of J K Rowling’s Hogwarts, as memorable as F.R.I.E.N.D.S
Part of the : Creative Writing Mentorship Program from 5 September – 14 November, 2015
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About being a part of Anita’s Attic Creative Writing program
When I walked into Anita’s Attic, I had a folder full of incomplete stories and very little hope that any of them would find an ending. I was lost and drowning in a swamp of my own endless ideas, doubting my ability to write. Anita’s mentorship programme guided me out of that mess, one step at a time.
Anita’s Attic was everything an aspiring writer could hope for. Anita is an amazing mentor; she listened, identified my struggles, and motivated me to get over it. I got to spend every Saturday with a group of brilliant writers who shared my dream, and there were guest speakers inspiring us every week. I felt reassured here, that it is alright to be stuck and struggling with a story, and that doesn’t mean I cannot write. Every session has reinforced my conviction to continue creating stories, and has given me the confidence that I couldn’t have imagined eleven weeks ago.
Shruthi’s reading of her part as author of the collaborative fiction piece, “Daddy Dearest”
[symple_column size=”two-third” position=”last” fade_in=”false”] I am : a superwoman
Presently biding my time : Juggling my writing, translation assignments, playing a fantastic mother to two children, and a horrible wife to a great husband
As I secretly follow my dream of : giving a strong voice to the underdog
Part of the : Creative Writing Mentorship Program from 5 September – 14 November, 2015
About being a part of Anita’s Attic Creative Writing program
Every few years, my life has been marked by an event that has changed the course of my life; Anita’s Attic is one such occurrence, and I know, I am a different person than what I was before the course. To call this a writing course is belittling the Attic. Because Anita’s Attic has taught me to be alive, to use all my senses – which trust me, are more than five – in a way I had never used them before, and to take my time to decode the information because, believe it or not, that’s how stories slowly started emerging.
While writing good and bad pieces of writing at the Attic, something had started happening to me. I had learnt to distinguish a good piece of writing from a bad one, and I could look at my creation, and know exactly why it wasn’t working well. And isn’t that a lovely treasure to acquire? Suddenly, I wanted to read more, write more, think more and talk more.
I feel incomplete now if I don’t write, and trust me, this can be an annoying feeling when two chipmunks (read children) are all over me every time I sit down to write, but it’s a feeling I have learnt to love and respect, and I respond to this feeling by writing. Can a writing course ever teach this? I don’t think so. This can only be taught by a guru who believes in your writing the way nobody else does in the world – and for that Anita, thank you.
I am taking back home with me much more than I ever thought I would, and I am truly excited to start my journey as a writer, because irrespective of whether things work in my favour or not, what I have acquired is strength to go on and on, and not give up. And this means everything to me.
Poorva’s Bio
Poorva is a freelance German translator, and a writer. She lives in Bangalore. Poorva finished writing her first children’s book last year, and is currently working on her second book, which is for young adults.
Poorva is also the Founder and Editor of Interviewing India, an interviewing project with the objective of interviewing people from all walks of life on a myriad of topics that ranges from friendship, sports, online shopping to sex, marriage and education. The project is yet to go live.
Poorva reading of her part as author of the collaborative fiction piece, “A Pound of Flesh”
Vani Menon is an engineer by profession and a writer by passion. She lives and writes out of Bangalore. She is currently working on her collection of short stories which revolve around women.Besides writing,she loves to travel and explore the world of paintings.
Vani’s reading of her part as author of the collaborative fiction piece, “Physician, heal thyself”
And what an amazing penultimate session we had at Anita’s Attic.
Three groups of writers working on collaborative projects. A pre-Diwali lunch of chole bhatura, pulao and raita and matka rabri. Then the beat poet in the group let loose his verse that was seriously good stuff.
Sathya Ramaganapathy‘s ‘The Grievance Collector’ is a Finalist in Open Road Review Short Fiction Prize 2015 !
Open Road Review, a literary magazine of short fiction (including translations), creative nonfiction, poetry & artwork, was founded in 2011 & the first issue was published on 1st May 2012.
Open Road Review publishes once every quarter & has published over 130 writers from 20 countries so far.
Congratulations Sathya !
You can read her “modern day, #Facebook style tale of revenge” here.
It’s not very often that a reviewer is also a writer and a book seller.
Which is why it was wonderful to have the brilliant and very witty Vivek Tejuja come in as the speaker at the 10th Session of Anita’s Attic Season 2. Vivek whose young adult book will be published early next year is precisely the kind of writer one needs to introduce to new writers to. For he drives home the message again and again that it is the writing that is important and not what happens thereafter.
That is the writer’s dharma; the rest is entirely the book’s karma.
