Interview, Scribe, Writers

Fireside Interviews — Somsubhra Banerjee

For the second in our series of fireside interviews, I’m joined today by Somsubhra Banerjee. Pour yourself a cup of tea, and enjoy!

We meet again today for the second in our series of fireside interviews, this time with Somsubhra Banerjee. I’m sure you’ve already enjoyed his writing, which is particularly varied, as Somsubhra writes both poetry and short stories with the talent for which he is known! Without further ado, I leave you with our discussion.

Enjoy reading, and if you have a sweet tooth, you can find a link to the collection of all the interviews at the end of this post.

Note: The author’s answers are his own. They have not been edited.

Thomas Gaudex: Good evening, Somsubhra, and thank you for being with me today to talk about your journey through writing. I’m a little intimidated to welcome one of Scribe’s most talented poets. The fire is already crackling in front of us, so let’s get right down to the point. What were your first impressions when you discovered the publication, and what made you want to join?

Somsubhra Banerjee: A very Good evening to you too, Thomas. Hope you are doing well. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for inviting me for this Fireside chat. I was literally jumping with joy when I heard of this idea. And it’s surreal to find myself on the other end of this chat today. Thank you so much for the kind words, it means a lot to me. Let’s dig in!

So, there’s an interesting story for this. I had first noticed this exquisite publication when I joined Medium in 2019. At that time, I had just started my writing journey and joined a few pubs, and when I found out about Scribe and read through some gorgeous pieces, I was drawn to email you, alongside all the required details. And I was rejected 😛 I was really upset then, but I know now why you did that, and this actually proves your dedication to the quality of writing at Scribe. I completely agree that my writing, at that time wasn’t that good, and when I read it now, I feel amused. But again, I guess, as writers we make that journey starting from zero and gradually improving in the craft.

After that incident I kept on writing and kept reading wonderful pieces on Scribe, but then again in January 2023, I thought it’s a good time now to email you back, my writing had matured a bit perhaps, and I felt that this time around, maybe I’ll get a positive note. And yes, it was a positive response.

TG: Do you remember your first steps in Scribe and the first story readers were able to discover?

SB: Oh yes I definitely do remember about it. My first story on Scribe was a fiction piece — Face-Blind Town, that you loved as well, Thomas, and it really was appreciated and read by many amazing writers and readers on Medium. And I guess that actually was the first stepping stone for me on Scribe and gave me the confidence to send my next piece across. It continued, thereafter.

TG: Can you tell us something about the Scribe community? What does it mean to you to have your stories published in the publication?

SB: The Scribe community is the best I have come across on Medium. I have made so many good virtual friends via Scribe, the way they support each other’s words is really very heartening. And that involves you too, Thomas. Without you being that person to nurture the entire tribe in Scribe, this would have never been possible. So, I am very, very thankful to you as well. I remember when we organised a poetry event on Medium Day, oh what fun it was! I simply loved it, and hoping to do it soon again.

And, it means a lot to have my stories getting published in the publication. I feel, Scribe is one of the premier publications on Medium, that keeps quality above anything else. Which is why, every single writing here, is of brilliant quality and when I read each one of them, I get inspired and they get me to keep writing.

TG: Why do you write and what inspires you?

SB: So, the writing bug was inside me since a long time, like, when I read something, a book or story in childhood days, I kept wondering, what if I could write something like this, how would it look thereafter. And when I finished my first original short story, I was overjoyed and there was this sense of satisfaction of doing something. I guess this sense of telling what’s inside you, about anything and everything and being able to express it to others, hoping some would relate to it, maybe not, is why I write. But, it took time to open up publicly, and here as well, Medium played a vital role. During the pandemic, when things were gloomy, is when I felt the urge to write, and express the feelings stuck inside, but I was not sure if I wanted to share it with everyone. My introverted self discouraged me, but one fine day, I created an account on Medium and just published a piece. I remember, it had one comment but for me that was Gold. That pushed me to write my next piece and so on.

I think Nature inspires me the most, followed by anything and everything that’s old, dilapidated, ancient. Next are inanimate objects, I tend to personify them, sometimes adding a bit of humor to it. These are the primary ones that inspire me and I keep searching for something new, something unique that might not have been explored earlier. Sometimes it gets difficult to find such thing, and sometimes there’s a silver lining.

TG: Every writer has his or her own writing habits. Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette said she refused to embark on a writing session until she had spent a long time removing the fleas from her bulldog Souci. Do you have your own writing rituals? What are your favorite times and places to write?

SB: Very interesting question that I have never thought about. But, now as I read through it, I feel most of my words seem to flow better at night, when I am done with everything, the surroundings are quieter, and the mind can freely navigate. But sometimes, it happens that while travelling in an auto, something comes up all of a sudden, and I have to write a bit about it, so that the interesting thought doesn’t run away.

As far as the ritual is concerned, there’s none particularly, but I keep my mobile phone away from the place I am writing, so that until and unless I am fully satisfied with the piece, I do not go and check some notifications or Instagram, for example. This is something that I rigorously follow.

TG: You’ll tell me if I’m wrong, but I think you’re currently living in India, your country of origin. Scribe is multicultural and welcomes writers of all origins and cultures. Which child were you?

SB: Yes, currently I am living in India, my country of origin. Actually, I found it really fascinating that Scribe has this thing where people from various parts of the world join in, and celebrate writing. Feels so good, the whole globe converging on Medium, under this beautiful shade called Scribe.

Going back to your question, I am a single child of my parents. I grew up in this lovely little place called Murshidabad in Bengal, which is on the eastern side of India. I was an introverted child, mostly studying during my school days and reading a lot of books, starting from Enid Blyton to JK Rowling later on, then some eminent writers from Bengal like Rabindranath Tagore, Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay, to name a few. I remember being inspired by Enid Blyton’s “Secret Seven” and starting to scribble my own stories based on them, and I feel that was the starting point of my writing journey that continues till today and will go on.

TG: What do you enjoy about writing poetry?

SB: For me, writing poetry is a form of therapy. It provides an outlet for processing emotions, working through challenges, and finding a sense of catharsis. The act of putting thoughts and feelings into words can be so healing. And I felt that, when I started scribbling for the first time.

Of course other than this, there are other enjoyable things about poetry writing that I love, like playing with various forms, finding unique ways to express ideas, self-reflection and introspection, and most importantly, to create a strong emotional connection with readers. When I write about my human experiences, many readers have been able to relate to it and connect with the themes presented in the poems.

TG: In addition to poetry, you also write short stories. I remember well the first story you submitted to Scribe, the one you mentioned earlier, Face-Blind Town. Your descriptions are wonderful and make us feel like we’re right there with the characters. I have the impression that you also draw a lot of inspiration from your childhood memories.

SB: You’re absolutely right. I draw a lot of inspiration from my childhood days, spent with my Grandfather and Grandmother from both sides. Unfortunately for me, they all passed away when I was young, except for my paternal Grandmother, and I wish I could have spent more time with them. So, whatever memories that I have of them, of time spent with them, keeps coming back to me, and they have to be written. I live and love Nostalgia as well. Most of my work seeps in Nostalgia, of old times, about my city, about the meandering roads, so it all inspires me, and somehow I keep writing about it again and again. Nostalgia and childhood memories never, ever fail to amaze me. The memories seem to keep coming back, sometime or the other, mostly when I am back to my hometown, to my home where each room has the scents of the yesteryears. It all feels so surreal and gets me writing about it. I can keep going on and on about this, but let’s not bore the readers, here :)

TG: You’re fascinated by old things, especially old typewriters. You wrote a story about a charming encounter with a 70-year-old man surrounded by his typewriters from another era. Tell me about it.

SB: Yes, I love everything that is old, broken, has that charm from the yesteryears. I cannot tell you why, but I get attracted to these century old monuments, abandoned buildings, the ancient smell inside museums, and I get drawn to that particular era when these old buildings housed so much grandeur, surrounded by people, their feelings, and now all that remains is memories and reminiscence. Perhaps, I personify these old things, and get deep into what they might be feeling. For example, that old typewriter from Belgium, what might it be feeling sitting in the 21st century, amidst mobile phones and laptops.

So, when I came across this person in Bangalore, I left my work and went to his place, and as he passionately explained everything about the typewriters, I somehow thought about them. Typewriters, that were born in 1900s, moving across continents, people writing so many things, about love, loss, life, laughs, and finally resting amidst similar pieces in Bangalore. It felt so surreal, sitting amidst such old and wise beings, and also with Mr Rama, who’s a kid at heart. I was really moved, after a long, long time.

TG: You published a book of poetry last September, The Arboreal Alchemist. First of all, congratulations, because I don’t think this is your first book! How did you come to write this book?

SB: Thank you so much! Yes, this is a new book, and yes, this is my fourth book. I would say, this is the first and the only book where I did not have to invest an amount to publish it. A publisher took care of it end to end. The other three, I had to invest some amount to bring it out in the market.

So, I have been in Medium for more than three years. I have been scribbling a lot of poems, and the ones I felt were decent enough, or were really appreciated by the eminent readers across the platform, I kept them stored in a sheet. My intention was to bring out a chapbook of sorts with them, just for myself, so that I don’t lose them in the hundreds of poems that I write over the years. That was the starting thought, and have been the thought for every single book that I managed to publish. Slowly, the numbers increased and reached a respectable one to be turned into a poetry book, and then I shared it across with some publishers, and one of them agreed to publish it. This is the entire story behind this book.

TG: If you had the opportunity to retire somewhere for a few months or a lifetime to live off your writing, where would you go?

SB: Another interesting question. I would definitely go to the mountains. Any hilly area, amidst the lush green valleys, a small stream flowing nearby, and the view of the mountains. A house somewhere in the scenery mentioned would do. Breathe in fresh air, and stay in close proximity of nature and keep writing newer pieces everyday, perhaps.

TG: We’ve come to the end of our interview. Thank you a million times for accepting my invitation, and thank you for your invaluable presence here at Scribe. I have one last question: what can we wish you now?

SB: I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart, Thomas for even thinking about this fireside chat with the writers in Scribe. I have never done something like this earlier, being on the introverted side, but after Medium Day this year, I have opened up a lot more. Also, I have mentioned it always, but will do it again, that what you do for the writers at Scribe, is beyond anything. We all are really fortunate to be writing for Scribe. I, for myself, I love everyone who writes here, and will continue reading them. And I hope Scribe grows bigger and bigger, my best wishes will always be with you.

Okay, so what you can wish me. Let me think. Just wish that I keep writing, and never stop, and hope that the words also never stop coming to me. For a writer, that’s the best thing to wish for, I guess.

Take a closer look at Somsubhra Banerjee’s writing by visiting the links below:

Find all the fireside interviews in this collection: