Author Interview 1: With Sreejib aka Koel Ganguli.

Hello and welcome dear readers.
It has been almost five months since I have started this blog and the content of my blog has mostly been book reviews.
So, today I tried doing something different on my blog. And guess what? This post is an 'Author Interview'!😊

Cover of the book 'Aqson Level 1'

In the last post on my blog, I reviewed the book 'Aqson Level 1' by Sreejib. So if you have read the review, you know how much I loved the book. And if you haven't yet read my review of the book, here's the link: https://exploringthebookishworld.blogspot.in/2018/03/book-review-17-aqson-level-1-by-sreejib.html . Do give it a read!

 We have with us here the author of the book 'Aqson Level 1', Sreejib aka Koel Ganguli. So readers, get ready for an interesting 'Author Interview Session'. 

Me: Hello and welcome to my blog! So, what started you on the path of writing?

Sreejib: Hi Chetana! I think I wanted to be a writer since forever. There was a time when I thought I would make a fine carpenter and in all honesty, carpentry continues to interest me, but not more than storytelling. As a child, I was very close to my grandparents and both of them loved to read. My grandma would read Tagore and Chattopadhyay to me and my grandfather read out Doyle and Corbett. Then when I had my little brother, we would have regular storytelling sessions. I have grown up amidst stories and my love for tale making has only increased with time.

Me: What sort of research did you do to write the book, 'Aqson Level 1'?

Sreejib: Aqson is a story that has been with me for quite some time now. I read Paradise Lost when I was in school and that had a huge impact on my perception of good and evil, God and Devil. To me they were no more as black and white as my grandma wanted me to believe. Milton triggered existential questions and I feel that was the inception of Aqson.

I also have a strange tendency of personifying inanimate objects. Anything that is interesting or mysterious, I try to imagine how it would be as a human. And what could be more mysterious than Pandora’s Box? That was again something I did out of habit and it became an important part of Aqson’s narrative. In fact, most of the characters are my personal favourites from books, folklores and mythology. I have presented them as I imagine them.

You may say that my experience with world literature, since I was a child, is the research I have unintentionally done for Aqson level 1.

Me: What are you working on now?

Sreejib: At this time I am working on Aqson level 2.

Me: If your novel was being made into a movie, whom would you pick to play the lead roles?

Sreejib: Wow! That is a good and a tough one. Please do not frown down on me for I am not a fan of the movies. Of course, I love watching good cinema, but not as often as others. I am more into Netflix originals and TV series.  

If Aqson ever had to come on screen, I would love to see it as something like, “Stranger Things”. That’s a favourite.

Me: What are your top three favourite books of all time?

Sreejib: My top three favourite books of all time are, Manojder Adbhut Bari by Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll and The Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson. Every time I read them, I discover something new.

Me: What has been one of your most rewarding experience as an author?

Sreejib: The reviews. When readers connect with what I wrote and pen down wonderfully generous reviews, it feels surreal. Giving any new author a chance, time, attention and then the effort to pen a review, is extremely supportive. It is a very happy and reassuring experience for me.

Me: What is the most difficult part of your artistic process?

Sreejib: Marketing the book. I am a writer, not a marketing professional. I simply do not have the skills required to market a product, any product. I have struggled a lot! And I am still trying to understand the pros and cons of book promotion. But thankfully, now I have a great team that is helping me gradually expand Aqson’s reach.

Me: Do you believe in 'writer's block'?

Sreejib: No, I do not believe in writers’ block. Yes, there have been times when I struggled with writing in sequential order, but that is because I had other ideas forcing their way to the face of my cognizance. That’s when I take a different route, maybe disturb the writing order to pen down my immediate thoughts. And then I fall back on track.

Me: What other passions do you have apart from writing?

Sreejib: Apart from writing, I love to watch videos on carpentry and interior design. Fine carpentry can save trees by reusing old furniture. I like to sketch and paint, casually. I have interest in making scented candles and ‘am also learning a lot about minimalism.

Me: Are there any nuggets of wisdom you would like to impart to aspiring authors?

Sreejib: Yes, two. One, proofread. Two, promote.

About the author: 

Sreejib is Koel Ganguli’s pseudonym.Born and brought up in Kolkata, Koel completed her masters in Mass Communication and got into creative writing.In spite of being a firm believer in the reality of fantasy, she finds the concept of gods too far-fetched and chooses not to believe in it.
She likes to watch videos on carpentry, read fiction, eat rolls and Nutella and fears that religions will cause the ultimate apocalypse, soon.