The writer on writing: Perspective column in the Books page of The New Indian Express

Why does a Writer Write?

By Sheila Kumar

Published: 13th October 2015 

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I could be facetious and say I write because I can. But that wouldn't be the whole truth. I write because I must. The ideas pour into my head at all times of the day and night and stay there, jostling around, till I discharge them onto paper or onto a fresh page on my computer. Some  mornings, I wake up with words pouring out of my senses.

I write because as a trained journalist with many years of experience, I have willy-nilly, honed the craft. I write on assigned projects, I write to meet deadlines and I write to tell a story in the most interesting manner possible.

I write because I love the language I write in, English. I'm a Literature Honours student who dove eagerly into all the elements of my chosen subject: syntax, phonetics, grammar, vocabulary, the works. That passion hasn't faded one bit over the years; I still devour essays, stories, reports that employ impeccable language and a fine turn of phrase or three.

I write as a defense to the whirlpool of mediocre writing I observe all around me. While I fully sympathise with the popular notion that everyone has a book in them and needs to write it, why must they employ bad or no grammar, banal language, a sloppy, lazy, superficial, pretentious style? Why must they use text language and say it is more reader- friendly? Why must they run down good writers and skilled writing even as they hawk their work? 

I write because it comes as easy to me as breathing. Writing is my refuge, my   patch of sunlight.

Coming to my book. Every journalist is asked when she or he will start work on a book. And I’ve been a journalist for more than two decades now, so that means I have been asked this question many, many times. The answer was always: No book. Period.

And that was the truth. There really was no book inside me. I was happy to wear all the other hats: be a copy editor, a features writer, an opinion writer, a travel hack, a fashion writer, dispenser of much fashion and beauty advice in article after article, proof-reader, book editor. But not author.

Till some summers ago. Then the book came to me very forcefully. I’d lie in bed at night and characters would walk into my brain and set up situations for themselves. I’d wake in the morning and words would come charging  out of my head.

And so, Kith and Kin pretty much wrote itself. A cliché but clichés are based on truth, aren’t they?

Actually, much of what I write is for my eyes only but quite a bit is out there for public consumption, too. It is out there, open to anyone who would read it, only because I have this total conviction that what amused, entertained, educated, disturbed  or pained me, will do the same to others too. So, basically, it's the ultimate act of sharing.

  — Sheila Kumar is an independent  writer and editor, as well as author of a collection of short stories titled Kith and Kin (Rupa Publications).

http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/bengaluru/Why-does-a-Writer-Write/2015/10/13/article3076520.ece

Review on blogger Athira Jim`s Bewitched By Words blog

Wednesday, October 7, 2015

Book Review - Kith and Kin - chronicles of a clan by Sheila Kumar

From the book cover: Wimpy men, whimsical women, people trapped in their own time zones, cuckolding wives... Meet the Melekats. They are an inimitable lot!

These are slice-of-life stories about an old Nair family from south Malabar in Kerala. The Melekat mosaic includes Ammini Amma, the matriarch of the family, and her large brood of offspring and descendants. A wannabe journalist in search of the perfect story, a girl in search of a husband, a woman in search of a reason - any reason - to leave her husband...each character arouses curiosity. 

There is love, laughter, betrayal, hurt, anger, meetings, partings, and even a chatty ghost, in this fluid and engaging narrative. 

My thoughts: A wide variety of interesting and intriguing characters is what makes up the gist of Kith and Kin, as the name indicates. When I started reading, I couldn't help but compare the stories to that of Anita Nair and Kamala Das, some of my favorite writers, primarily because of the setting in Kerala, which is home for me. But that was where the resemblance ended. Sheila has brought in her own distinctive voice and narrative to the story while breathing life into her characters. 

Though the book is a novel, the chapters read like short stories on its own, each one dealing with a different theme. There were quite a lot of characters who are all related and once you get a better grasp of who is who, the story progresses along smoothly. I loved the characters of Melekat Ammini Amma, the matriarch, Suvarna, Seema and Sindhu, her granddaughters, Sumant, Suvarna's childhood friend to name a few. 

Reading the book was like taking a trip back home. Yes, it evokes a sense of nostalgia as you go along with the characters in their journey. The book is well written and edited, with impeccable English. I had to pick up my dictionary quite a few times, and this is certainly a good thing if it helps you in learning new words. There are so many topics that the author has tried to cover including infidelity, complex human emotions and its vulnerabilities, marriage and love. I also loved the title of each chapter which gives a thoughtful preview of what is to be expected from the coming story.

At two hundred odd pages, the book is a light read and I finished it over a couple of days, relishing each one of the stories. Read this one not just to get a peek into the Melekat family, but to dwell into some of the darker emotions and stories that we keep hidden, not daring to voice them out aloud.