Q&A: Dipavali Sen, Author of 'Unheard Voices From Ancient Times'

Dipavali Sen is a retired Associate Professor of Economics from Sri Guru Gobind Singh College of Commerce, Delhi University. She writes on mythological as well as contemporary themes. Her published work includes novels, short stories, translations, and articles. She is a Life Member of the Association of Writers and Illustrators (AWIC) and has presented papers at international conferences held in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. She has recently come out with the book Unheard Voices From Ancient Times.

I chat with her about her book Unheard Voices From Ancient Times, what inspired her to write this book, book recommendations, and much more.

Hello! Tell us the book that made you want to become an author, and the book that you can’t stop thinking about!

Yuganta: The End of an Epoch by anthropologist Iravati Karve, translated from Marathi into English by W. Norman Brown. In it, the familiar yet unheeded aspects of characters from the Mahabharata are retold in a strikingly different way. Deservedly it won Sahitya Academy Award in 1968.

If you could only describe your book Unheard Voices From Ancient Times in five words, what would they be?

Past – Remembered, Recreated, Reinterpreted, Rediscovered.

'Unheard Voices From Ancient Times', published by Invincible Publishers

Now tell us a little more about the book! What can readers expect?

Ananya and Chintan are a young couple, disappointed because they are not getting the break they needed in their usual life – travel (due to the pandemic). So they take a journey through time, telling each other stories every evening. These stories are from different periods or ages and each has a poignant message for modern times. They are based on information, from fossils and artefacts to texts and folklores. They do not transgress material that is there but add to it, highlight possible nuances unheeded throughout the ages. In the end, Ananya and Chintan are bonded closer. Thus, the readers can expect somewhat unusual stories intriguing and energising them.

What inspired you to write this book?

I have an ongoing interest in ancient Indian history, mythology and folklore. In spite of general awareness and reverence for them, they still have nuances that have been missed, and points that have gone unnoticed. Especially, each story can be told a little differently depending on the person who is telling it. The story of Manthara in Ramayana we all know. But if Manthara was narrating it herself, would it be the same? We all consider Duryodhana to be the villain of Mahabharata. But did he look at himself that way? This aspect had been brought to my notice by Padmashree Manorama Jafa, the noted writer, whose workshops on creative writing I had attended. The book is dedicated to her. She has inspired me and many others when they were beginners.

Can you tell us your creative process behind the characterizations of Ananya and Chintan?

To me, it was the individual stories which were important. I wanted to tell the stories of the extinct dinosaur, the alien among the cavemen, the artefact from the Indus Valley Civilization, and then the various people of Vedic and Epic times, chronologically. They were unconnected units. To string them together, as suggested by the editor of Invincible Publishers, I invented young Ananya and Chintan. They became real and developed their own characteristics as I wrote on. Their own reactions and emotions bound the disjoint stories together, I hope!

What is the message that you want readers to take away from this book?

To readers, I suggest that there is a lot of scope for them to learn from the past if they applied their creativity or imagination to it. Mainstream research in Paleontology or Indology can be supplemented by sympathetic re-thinking. Through cracks in the earth hardened through ages, neglected or unheard thoughts and feelings may then spread out – as on my book cover.

What has the road to becoming a published author been like for you?

It has taken me a long time to become the published author of a book, although I have been getting short stories and articles published for long. Traditional publishing involves waiting and combating disappointment in case of rejection or much revision. The emergence of self-publishing is, I think, a welcome development in the world of books.

Lastly, do you have any book recommendations for our readers?

Yuganta: The End of an Epoch, although it is more than 60 years old. I would also like to recommend my own book Rishika (published by Blue Rose Publishers) just a little ahead of Unheard Voices From AncientTimes (published by Invincible Publishers).

The book ‘Unheard Voices From Ancient Times’ is available online and at your nearest bookstore.

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