Conversations on the relationship of people to the city, factors that set the short story apart from novels and the art of writing a short story were the main points of discussion at the launch of Anjum Hasan’s latest collection of short stories, A Day in The Life at Blossoms Bookstore recently. She was in conversation with Lavanya Sankaran and Usha Rao.
The book has 14 stories, with a myriad cast of characters and explores various facets of life in the bustling metropolis. Lavanya said the book was like a feast, with each short story having its own texture and tone. She says, “The stories cover Bangalore and other cities as well and string together well. It is like enjoying a feast, with some of the stories serving as starters and leading to the main course.”
Usha agrees, “I also felt that the book makes an attempt to capture the socio-economic milieu of the city and the urban experience.”
Anjum points out, “I am thrilled that the response to a short story collection has been very encouraging. I use two words to describe the writing experience, pleasure and zeitgeist. The art of building a world in a few pages, letting it go and leaving it open ended. There is a deep pleasure when the reader is also drawn into this world. I am happy that Lavanya used the allegory of a feast. The other aspect is zeitgeist, meaning the spirit of the times. The ability to capture what is happening at the moment, much like impressionist painters, who used broad brush strokes to capture the world as it went by. That is how quickly things change in our reality and the short stories must capture that and showcase a city that is constantly changing. Novels are more extensive, while a short story is self-contained.”
On whether a common thread exists among the stories in the book, Anjum points out, “I do not think short story writers think too much about the commonalities in their stories. I think it may appear related because I am writing the stories and am inclined in a certain way.”
Religion or the lack of it seems to be a major theme in this collection. Anjum says, “I do not write about religion. I write about petiole. As religious identity or the lack of it becomes a marker, I was curious in finding out, how different characters would react to it. I did not want to go the traditional Bollywood way where a minority character would display the markers of his or her faith.”
