When women write, we are writing of that very essence of human nature, of emotions, of life cycles that constantly turn, of relationships, of identity and of finding ourselves,” says Malathi Ramachandran of Inklinks, a city-based group of nine women writers who have come up with their second anthology of short stories, titled Door in the Wall .
Like their first anthology Bhel Puri, Door in the Wall is essentially about relationships but there is a distinct difference between the two. “Our first book Bhelpuri was more of an experiment to see how it all works out,” says Khurshid Khoree, another member of this group. “After seeing the positive response we got from those who had read our book and the good reviews, it gave us enocouragement to go ahead with our second book. The first book had no theme. This time we decided to have one and chose walls as our theme. Walls that divide people, walls that block growth, walls between cultures. And it is the door in that wall that opens to show the light even under stressful circumstances, bringing in hope and the will to go on. Our stories are simple and straight forward, but at the same time make it an interesting reading experience. We as a group give the reader a variety of stories to read.”
The group is an eclectic one comprising of women of different age groups and backgrounds but it has been going strong for almost a decade now.
“We met at various literary forums and discovered a shared passion for writing,” says Vatsala Warrier, another member talking about the genesis of the group. “The decision to form a group was spontaneous. We wanted a support system and a common platform to interact, to share news about books, inspire each other to continue writing and ultimately publish our work. Being in a group of other women writers gives me encouragement to write and learn from my group members, who are all seasoned writers with their individual publication of short stories and novels. Most importantly, I like being a part of this group.”
“As a group of only women, we have bonded very well and have great understanding of each other’s strengths and weaknesses as writers,” adds Khurshid.
And how receptive has the city been to their writing? “Very,” believes Malathi. “Bangalore is a very literary city! Writers, readers, socialites, celebrity watchers... we all love our book events! We have libraries and book shops and culture centres and coffee shops that host readings and book launches and other events.”
One what lies ahead, Malathi says, “Our next book will also be based on a common theme. We have several ideas, but have not finalised anything yet.”
“The future looks good,” adds Eva Bell, another member. “I’m hoping that our third anthology will be out by the end of 2015. Also more writers would like to join us so we may increase our numbers. New members must have the same ideals that we share and must be committed to short story writing, using their fertile imagination. In Anne Frank’s words we say together I want to write, but more than that, I want to bring out all kinds of things that lie deep within my heart.”
