Sudha Menon’s four non-fiction books — Devi, Diva or She Devil-The Smart Career Woman's Survival Guide , Leading Ladies: Women Who Inspire India , Legacy: Letters to their daughters from eminent Indian men and women and Gifted: inspirational stories of people with disabilities have gathered good readership. The Pune-based author, columnist and writing coach adroitly uses her skills of a former journalist and takes reportage to a new high in narrating inspirational, human interest stories in these books. In 2010 she founded, ‘Get Writing’, a writing workshop series that is encouraging men and women to write their stories. An exclusive workshop for women from different backgrounds, ‘Writing with Women’, and a workshop catered for seniors, ‘Telling Our Stories’, are additions to her writing project. A book based on humour is scheduled to be released in September this year, and her dream of writing fiction set in her village in Kerala is taking shape.
In a free-wheeling chat Sudha Menon talks about her books, her way of empowering women through her writings, and on the importance of documenting the recent past. Edited excerpts from the interview.
How did you begin?
I was a journalist and lucky to be in the start up teams of The Hindu Business Line and Mint . I quit in a matter of three minutes over issues of ethics and was at a loss of what to do next. If you are from the middle class, the sword of not getting your salary at the end of the month hangs. So I was desperate to do something. My husband asked me to look at this as an opportunity and suggested I pursue my dream of being an author. That is where my first book began.
Your first book, Leading Ladies...
This was the result of my own experiences. I married at the age of 21. As I said before I was part of start up of two newspapers. I would struggle everyday balancing my enthusiasm for my work, meeting deadlines, and raising my child. My job brought me in contact with women in positions of power. I would look at these successful women and wonder how they reached there, that they too must have worked through struggle as I do. I learnt from these stories that no matter how difficult it seems, it is perfectly easy to lead a balanced life. Don’t give up. I presented real life stories of such women in the book
On your writing workshop series
During the promotion of my first book, I met many people in different cities who expressed a desire to write but faced a problem of not knowing how to begin or the process. I know well that people are museums of memories and have a wealth of stories to tell. So I thought I could help them tell their stories. I know that there is a technique involved in writing which I could share with them. I am so glad that so many people have come and done these workshops and are writing; a couple of them have published too.
‘Writing With Women’ initiative
I started this from a belief that we live in a world where women don’t get too many platforms to express themselves. I found in my workshops that invariably it were the men who were able to stand and read their writings with confidence, and the women would meet me after the session and talk about their writing. They were not comfortable discussing their work in a mixed group. Actually, this is the story of women all over the world.
So I began these workshops only for women. I can see the transformation in women who get the confidence to tell their story and say bravely that this is who I am and I am comfortable with it. I feel proud that well-known businesswoman Anu Aga, and philanthropist Rati Forbes have attended my workshops.
Devi, Diva ... is a collection of stories of women who have crossed all barriers they have faced and have come out and done the things that please them. They are leading very fulfilling lives. There are stories of Mary Kom and Farah Khan, to name a few, in the book.
When Mary Kom was training for Rio in Pune I met her to listen to her stories. I would go to meet her in the evenings. I noticed that her twins would leave us alone as they knew their mother was doing something important. implying that women have to balance two worlds. When there was insurgency in her State and there was no milk supply, Kom said she would worry about milk for the children but if she worried 99 % about that that the other 1 % was about her dream. Giving up on her dream never crossed her mind, she said.
My daughter was born to a working woman and I ask my mother, who used to feel diffrently, if my daughter suffred from any anything.
Your books are women-centric. Is that your way of gender activism?
Activism can be on various fronts. I don’t hold back on voicing an opinion. I use the pen to make the change. My words make a difference. I was part of the Bombay Union of Journalists. Currently the Number One challenge for women is to find that space to express herself. Look at the backlash a woman faces if she takes ownership of her life. She is put down.
What are you currently working on?
My next book is Humour, to be out in September. It is on real life stories of women, funny experiences. Looking at our lives from a lighter side. I want to write fiction, it will be set in my village of Eramangalam in Kerala.
What about other subjects — on men and other social issues?
I want to write fiction. I will draw from my growing-up years, of my visits to my grandmother’s house in Eramanagalm, during summer vacations and Diwali holidays. I remember myself as that little girl being woken up by my great granduncle early morning for Vishu, then the Onasadya..
On your latest initiative ‘Telling Our Stories’
Pune, the city where I live, is a very historical place. It was where the entire legacy of Balagangadhar Tilak is. Lot of seniors in the city have lived through that history. I thought where is the documentation from the seniors. I think we lose a very precious slice of history if we do not document their lives. In ‘Telling Our Stories’ I sit with them and talk to them about their memories. Their stories will be precious archives. It will give a keyhole view of how a society and our country developed.
I sat and encouraged my mother to write about the Railway strike of 1975 in Bombay, of which my father was spearheading. In fact, that set the tone for subsequent labour movement in India. We have no documentation of that
On self-publishing
Given the way publishing is going, it has become very elitist, so self-publishing is a good option. But my only worry is that too much poor quality writing gets published. It has given way to the syndrome that everyone wants to be a writer instantly and that’s a great disservice.
I would say make sure the work is something that the world wants to read. The industry is very unforgiving so don’t blow the chance.
