The stage has felt like a whirlwind affair, but I’ve adored the chaos throughout the journey.
1. Tell us about your background, story, and journey.
I’ve been in love with writing since I was a little kid. I’ve always been a writer, always. My grandfather, a school principal from Kottarakkara, Kerala, was one of the most amazing storytellers I’d ever known. I think one of the reasons why I love exploring magical themes is because there was a lot of folklore in his storytelling universe. I took up English literature in both college and university, and that exposed me to a lot of brilliant writers as well.
With time, I had the luxury of acquainting myself with not just the classics, but also the works of Indian writers such as Bama, Perumal Murugan, Agha Shahid Ali, Mulk Raj Anand, Mahasweta Devi, and Basheer, among some notable others. Sometime in 2016, I moved to Bombay, and I was introduced to spoken word poetry. The stage has felt like a whirlwind affair, but I’ve adored the chaos throughout the journey.
2. When did you decide you wanted to be a writer?
You know that question everyone asks you when you’re young? What do you want to be when you grow up? I had the answer at the tip of my tongue – writer, writer, writer. But then I lost that dream sometime during college because suddenly, it got so obvious that very few authors survive on the royalty of their books. Was I going to have that one debut bestseller that turned me into a literary god? Not really. What about writing one book every year, would that bring me a stable income?
2. When did you decide you wanted to be a writer?
You know that question everyone asks you when you’re young? What do you want to be when you grow up? I had the answer at the tip of my tongue – writer, writer, writer. But then I lost that dream sometime during college because suddenly, it got so obvious that very few authors survive on the royalty of their books. Was I going to have that one debut bestseller that turned me into a literary god? Not really. What about writing one book every year, would that bring me a stable income?
I had to be established. I didn’t know-how. So I took up a day job, and I forgot the dream. But I never stopped writing, it felt like a betrayal if I did that. And what followed was phenomenal. Suddenly there was so much happening. Pages, stages, podcasts, extended play
I realized my art was fluid, it had this power of spilling into every medium. I didn’t have to limit it to just writing. It didn’t stop being beautiful just because it wasn’t written. In fact, writing is only the first stage. Everything that follows after, audio, video, and just about everything is so transcendental. A lot of people who didn’t read my poems found it easier to listen to them. That’s what Poems to Calm Down are all about
3. Is it a financially stable career?
It’s a very interesting career. A career that’s all about the risks. When you’re a full-time artist, you learn to save up a lot. I’d say it’s a good career if it pays your bills. I’d also say it isn’t for everyone. You can get really anxious when there are months you’re low on gigs or projects. And then something big comes in, and you’re sorted for the next five or six months. It’s very up and down like you’re on a rollercoaster ride, and you have the responsibility of balancing it out. It’s pretty insane, really. But I take it very seriously, and I never take it for granted. I’m doing what I love, and I wouldn’t trade it for the world.
4. What was the inspiration behind your latest book Teething?
A place. And a past. I think when I was reading Wuthering Heights, I had this strange feeling that the house itself was a character. It was dark and stormy and gothic, it had a personality. I wanted Kerala to be more than a setting, I wanted it to be alive and breathing, and I wanted to explore how culture and environment shaped a character’s identity.
3. Is it a financially stable career?
It’s a very interesting career. A career that’s all about the risks. When you’re a full-time artist, you learn to save up a lot. I’d say it’s a good career if it pays your bills. I’d also say it isn’t for everyone. You can get really anxious when there are months you’re low on gigs or projects. And then something big comes in, and you’re sorted for the next five or six months. It’s very up and down like you’re on a rollercoaster ride, and you have the responsibility of balancing it out. It’s pretty insane, really. But I take it very seriously, and I never take it for granted. I’m doing what I love, and I wouldn’t trade it for the world.
4. What was the inspiration behind your latest book Teething?
A place. And a past. I think when I was reading Wuthering Heights, I had this strange feeling that the house itself was a character. It was dark and stormy and gothic, it had a personality. I wanted Kerala to be more than a setting, I wanted it to be alive and breathing, and I wanted to explore how culture and environment shaped a character’s identity.
Teething is a small, simple book, but at the same time, there’s so much left to the imagination. I was definitely also inspired by the vulnerabilities of the past, but instead of holding a stark mirror to it, I wanted to be subtle, I wanted to be quietly powerful. I wanted the characters to be fiercely loved, I wanted readers to want to protect them. Innocence is one of the biggest themes of the book, and for that, I needed to go back to the roots. I needed to speak with my inner child.
5. Is there any character in Teething whose personality resonates with you?
While Kochu is my favorite character in the book, I resonate a lot with Achu, the eldest daughter. The vast majority of the narrative is hers, and I saw in her the combination of courage and helplessness. Sometimes there’s absolutely nothing you can do about certain circumstances, and being brave is the only thing that will get you through it. For me, Achu represents a child who grew up too fast. And because of that, she turns out to be a broken adult. I spent a big part of my twenties being absolutely shattered. Full of fire, yes, but there was also so much grief, and I just didn’t know what to do with it. I think Achu is a reminder of that.
6. What was the whole process of coming up with the idea of the book from the plot to the act of writing it?
From the last page to the first. I write backward, and I only write a poem if I know how it’s going to end. I need to know the last two lines because if I don’t, I get stuck. And then I obsess about it, because isn’t it terrible if you just can’t solve a puzzle? How do you sit with that? How can you dare be peaceful? I knew the book was going to tell a story, just like Milton’s Paradise Lost did, and Cilappatikaram too, and I knew that meant I had to create imaginary people.
5. Is there any character in Teething whose personality resonates with you?
While Kochu is my favorite character in the book, I resonate a lot with Achu, the eldest daughter. The vast majority of the narrative is hers, and I saw in her the combination of courage and helplessness. Sometimes there’s absolutely nothing you can do about certain circumstances, and being brave is the only thing that will get you through it. For me, Achu represents a child who grew up too fast. And because of that, she turns out to be a broken adult. I spent a big part of my twenties being absolutely shattered. Full of fire, yes, but there was also so much grief, and I just didn’t know what to do with it. I think Achu is a reminder of that.
6. What was the whole process of coming up with the idea of the book from the plot to the act of writing it?
From the last page to the first. I write backward, and I only write a poem if I know how it’s going to end. I need to know the last two lines because if I don’t, I get stuck. And then I obsess about it, because isn’t it terrible if you just can’t solve a puzzle? How do you sit with that? How can you dare be peaceful? I knew the book was going to tell a story, just like Milton’s Paradise Lost did, and Cilappatikaram too, and I knew that meant I had to create imaginary people.
And all at once, there were all these poems being stitched together, to fit a larger framework, and I followed it. I always believe ideas are like lightning. And creating, diligently sitting with your work in progress, finding its endpoint, that’s just lots and lots of spacewalks. It’s lovely, but exhausting too.
7. As a writer who inspires many with her words, we would like to know who is the writer whose words are an inspiration to you and is your favorite?
Sylvia Plath is my all-time favorite poet. She’s been my favorite since the time I came across her work when I was seventeen. I never knew how cathartic confessional poetry could be until then. I also really like Joan Didion’s essays, I think she’s a brilliant writer. I discover new writers quite often, so I always have a new favorite I’m gushing about, but Plath and Didion are definitely timeless for me.
8. What piece of advice would you like to give to future aspiring writers?
I’m absolutely terrible at advice! But I’d say, write honestly. Tell the truth.
7. As a writer who inspires many with her words, we would like to know who is the writer whose words are an inspiration to you and is your favorite?
Sylvia Plath is my all-time favorite poet. She’s been my favorite since the time I came across her work when I was seventeen. I never knew how cathartic confessional poetry could be until then. I also really like Joan Didion’s essays, I think she’s a brilliant writer. I discover new writers quite often, so I always have a new favorite I’m gushing about, but Plath and Didion are definitely timeless for me.
8. What piece of advice would you like to give to future aspiring writers?
I’m absolutely terrible at advice! But I’d say, write honestly. Tell the truth.
- Megha Rao
Bio:
Megha Rao (megharao.in) is a poet and visual artist from Kerala who has been featured on BBC Radio, Culture Studio UK, Rollingstone, Penguin Random House, The Telegraph, Mint Lounge, Firstpost, and The Hindu, among some notable others. She completed her post-graduation in English Literature from the University of Nottingham, UK, has taught workshops at MICA, VIT, etc., and performed at events such as Spoken Fest and Pune International Lit Fest. Her poetry podcast, Poems to Calm Down to trending at #1 and has been on the top podcasts charts for two years now. She recently released her debut poetry book, Teething, with HarperCollins India.
Interviewed by - Ragini Verma
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